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CHOOSING  A  PLAY 

By 


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CHOOSING  A  PLAY 


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CHOOSING  A  PLAY 

REVISED  AND  ENLARGED 


SUGGESTIONS  AND  BIBLIOGRAPHY 

FOR    THE   DIRECTOR    OP 

AMATEUR  DRAMATICS 


BY 

GERTRUDE  E.  JOHNSON 

Assistant  Professor  in  the  Department  of  Speech 

Education  in  the  University  of  Wisconsin 

Author  of  "Modern  Literature  for  Oral  Interpretation" 


NEW  YORK 

THE  CENTURY  CO. 

1920 


Copyright,  1920,  by 
The  Centubt  Co. 


Phi 

PREFACE 

In  view  of  the  fact  tliat  the  magazine  which 
printed  even  a  hst  of  one-act  plays  is  instantly 
in  great  demand  in  that  particular  number,  and 
also  that  constant  calls  were  received  asking  for 
suggestions  for  a  play,  it  seemed  there  might  be 
a  place  for  such  lists,  bibliography,  and  sugges- 
tions as  are  here  compiled.  I  knew  from  experi- 
ence, that,  obvious  as  the  lists  seem,  they  were  in 
gi'eat  demand  by  many  who  have  no  time  to  give 
to  the  finding  of  material  for  amateur  production. 
J>  The  sale  of  the  first  edition  in  less  than  a  year 

y^,      assures  me  that  it  fills  a  need  and  I  have,  there- 
^      fore,   enlarged   it,   adding  material   in    various 
forms,  bringing  it  all  up  to  date  with  complete 
\;      corrections  so  far  as  possible. 

In  chapter  six  I  have  endeavored  to  gather 

,0^    together  some  of  the  most  helpful  suggestions  on 

VS       acting,  which  have  been  given  us  by  those  who 

have   succeeded,   either  as   actors   or   directors. 

V 

661034 


vi  PREFACE 

There  are  several  books  and  articles  dealing  di- 
rectly with  problems  of  acting,  but  they  are  not 
generally  available,  and  so  these  quotations  may 
give  helpful  hints  on  various  matters  pertaining 
to  this  field. 

Exception  will  be  taken  by  some  to  the  nature 
of  the  lists,  particularly  to  those  of  lower  grades, 
on  the  ground  that  they  are  "trash."  I  hasten 
to  agree  to  a  certain  extent,  but  let  me  add  that 
they  are  the  best  of  the  lower  grades,  and  so  are 
some  advance  over  much  material  that  is  being 
used  every  year  in  the  smaller  High  Schools. 
Furthermore,  while  there  has  been  a  frequent 
publishing  recently  of  books  and  articles  touch- 
ing on  all  phases  of  dramatic  activity,  choice  of 
plays,  new  movement,  betterment  of  dramatics, 
pageantry,  one-act  plays,  etc.,  very  few,  if  any, 
have  been  of  direct  and  unquestionable  assistance 
to  the  smaller  High  Schools,  whose  number  is 
legion.  These  schools  stage  several  plays  each 
year,  and  form  a  group  which,  to  my  mind,  it  is 
of  vital  importance  to  reach,  if  real  advance  in 
dramatics  is  to  be  made. 


PREFACE  vii 

It  has  been  my  desire,  however,  to  make  this 
book  of  some  direct  assistance  to  all  gi*ades  of 
amateur  production.  It  is  obviously  impossible 
for  some  time  yet,  to  hope  to  have  "Androcles  and 
the  Lion"  or  "How  He  Lied  to  Her  Husband," 
produced  in  towns  of  fifteen  hundred,  with  only 
a  few  of  the  number,  perhaps,  who  know  even 
the  author.  It  is  reported  by  Library  Com- 
missions which  attempt  to  help  the  situation  by 
sending  plays  of  the  "better  tj^pe,"  that  these  are 
returned  with  letters  saying  that  they  are  not 
what  is  wanted,  that  the  people  would  not  under- 
stand them,  and  that  there  is  no  one  among  the 
teachers  who  could  put  them  on.  I  have  been  in 
touch  with  one  commission  and  so  have  these  facts 
first  hand.  Is  it  not  advisable,  then,  to  suggest 
something  that  will  be  possible,  both  of  produc- 
tion and  understanding  in  such  a  community,  than 
to  refuse  to  send  a  lower  grade  of  material  than 
we,  in  our  academic  halls,  think  best? 

Obviously,  there  is  dire  need  in  the  schools  for 
someone  trained  in  dramatic  work  as  well  as  Eng- 
lish, for  it  is  so  often  the  teacher  of  English  to 


viii  PREFACE 

whose  lot  it  falls  to  coach  the  play.  For  that 
matter,  it  may  be  the  teacher  of  any  other  branch, 
from  history  on  through  chemistry,  or  animal 
husbandry,  so  little  consideration  is  given  to  the 
importance  of  having  some  one  trained  for  the 
work.  This  is  due,  of  course,  to  the  fact  that 
dramatic  activity  is  considered  of  extra  curricular 
significance,  and  not  of  any  definite  educational 
importance.  With  teachers  of  some  training 
placed  in  these  schools,  we  might  hope  to  help  in 
establishing  a  better  understanding  of  play 
values,  as  well  as  of  producing  possibilities.  We 
could  thus  attack  the  problems  of  dramatic  taste 
and  activities  in  the  place  where  they  would  reach 
the  largest  number  of  people,  and  tend  to  develop 
into  one  of  the  most  potent  factors  in  the  "New 
Movement."  Meanwhile,  it  has  seemed  to  me, 
as  I  said  at  first,  that  some  lists  should  be  avail- 
able for  even  the  smallest  schools,  which  are  go- 
ing to  produce  something,  whether  assisted  in  the 
choice  or  not.  It  is  in  the  hope  that  the  lists  of 
lower  grades  will  be  of  assistance  to  some  of  these 
schools,  that  they  have  been  compiled.     As  op- 


PREFACE  ix 

portunity  offers  I  trust  the  standard  of  selection 
will  be  raised  in  all  the  smaller  schools.  I  repeat 
— such  opportunity  will  not  come  to  any  great 
extent,  until  our  educational  institutions,  par- 
ticularly our  higher  ones,  are  interested  in  the 
problems  involved  in  our  dramatic  taste  and  ac- 
tivities, as  an  educational  matter,  affecting  very 
definitely  the  people,  and  so  the  State.  These 
institutions  should  set  the  standards  in  this  as  in 
other  studies.  They  should  realize  that  these 
problems  affect  the  life  of  the  community  very 
definitely — what  affects  the  community  affects 
the  State. 


CONTENTS 
PART  ONE— DISCUSSION 


CHAPTER 


FAQE 

I  The  Theater  as  an  Educational  Insti- 

tution           3 

II     Dramatic   Production  and  the  Educa- 
tional Curriculum ^2 

III     Why  the  One-Act  Play?      ....  48 

rV     Dramatics  in  the  High  School  ...  55 
V     The  Place  of  Pageantry  in  Community 

Life 69 

VI     Notes  on  Acting 83 

VII     Details  of  Coaching 94 

VIII     Material  for  Production      ....  108 

PART  TWO— DIRECTORY 

LISTS  AND  BIBLIOGRAPHY 

I     Addresses     of     Play     Publishers     and 

Brokers 119 

II  List  of  Plays  (Graded) 123 

Grade  One 124 

Grade  Two 129 

Grade  Three 131 

Grade  Four .  133 


CONTENTS 

CHAPTEE  PAGE 

III  Christmas  Plays 135 

IV  Plays  for  Women  Characters    ,      .      .137 
V     One  Act  Plays  in  Pamphlet  Form  .      ,    140 

Grade  One 140 

Grade  Two 144 

VI     One-Act  Plays  for  Male  Characters  .  146 

VII     Books  of  One-Act  Plays 148 

VIII     Plays  Possible  for  Out-Door  Produc- 
tion         157 

IX     Plays  for  Study  and  Scene  Work  .      .  159 
X     Books  of  Plays  for  Children     .      .      .  161 
XI     Other  Bibliographical  Lists      .      .      .  163 
XII     Magazines   and    Periodicals    of    Assist- 
ance        165 

XIII  Books  and  Articles  on  Pageantry  .      .  168 

XIV  Books  and  Articles  on  Dramatization 

IN  School  Work 173 

XV     Books  About  the  Theater  and  Acting  176 


PART  ONE 
DISCUSSION 


CHOOSING  A  PLAY 

CHAPTER  I 

THE  THEATER  AS  AN  EDUCATIONAL  INSTITUTION 

The  number  of  attacks  against  the  American 
theater  at  the  present  time  would  seem  to  indicate 
glaring  faults  in  our  theatrical  system.  Prac- 
tically every  book,  every  article,  every  lecture  on 
the  American  theater  decries  it  as  a  failure. 
Generally  speaking,  the  charge  is  that  the  Ameri- 
can theater,  steeped  in  commercialism  as  it  is, 
does  not  fulfil  its  highest  duty  to  society.  The 
conditions  and  limitations  which  commercialism 
has  imposed  upon  our  theater  are  many  and  far- 
reaching. 

"The  first  application  of  the  commercial  sys- 
tem was  an  indication  of  progress,  a  benefit  to 
the  actor  and  to  the  production  in  general.  It 
was  organized  as  a  means  of  successfully  support- 


4  CHOOSING  A  PLAY 

ing  the  drama.  It  raised  the  author  and  the 
player  from  penury,  and  raised  the  theater  to  a 
plane  of  a  self-respecting  profession."  ^  "Com- 
petitive business  among  theatrical  companies 
ought  to  be  a  stimulating  thing.  The  trouble 
with  the  commerciahzed  theater  of  today  is  that 
instead  of  supporting  the  drama,  it  has  required 
the  drama  to  support  the  system.  Managers  dis- 
covered that  what  had  been  a  precarious  trade  of 
half-vagabondish  players  could,  under  organiza- 
tion, be  magnified  to  a  tremendous  business  of 
purveying  entertainment  to  the  appetites  of 
newly  awakened  millions."  "  As  a  result  of  this 
discovery,  the  American  theatrical  system  has 
gone  over  entirely  to  "big  business."  Thirty 
years  ago  the  great  theatrical  syndicate  raised 
its  portentous  head  in  this  country.  Before  that 
time  the  large  cities  scattered  in  different  sections 
of  the  country,  St.  Lrouis,  for  instance,  San  Fran- 
cisco, and  Indianapolis,  had  their  own  inde- 
pendent producing  theaters,  which  rivalled  the 
things  seen  in  New  York.     This  independent 

1  Dickinson,  Thomas,  "The  Case  of  the  American  Drama,"  p.  94. 
2 /bid. 


THE  THEATER  6 

competition  was  stifled  by  an  appalling  theatrical 
monopoly  which  started  in  New  York,  as  a 
shrewdly  organized  booking  company,  to  dis- 
distribute  tom'ing  companies  throughout  the 
cities  of  the  United  States.  This  action  placed 
the  entire  control  of  our  theater  system  in  the 
hands  of  less  than  twenty  men,  a  few  New  York 
producing  managers  whose  aims  determined  and 
still  determine  largely  what  shall  pass  as  dramatic 
art  in  all  centers  throughout  the  country  where 
people  gather  for  illusionment.^  As  Sheldon 
Chenej^  puts  it,  "Unless  these  managers  see  fit  to 
feed  favored  theaters  with  plays  bearing  the 
Broadway  stamp  of  approval  the  whole  country 
becomes  a  dramatic  waste."  ^  So  centralized  and 
concentrated  has  the  control  of  the  theater  be- 
come in  the  hands  of  a  few  producers  that  the 
theater  monopoly  has  been  able  to  fill  its  own 
theaters  all  over  the  country  at  its  own  prices 
with  warmed-over  New  York  successes  without 
fear  of  competition  in  any  form.  It  has  been 
able  to  set  a  uniform  price  for  practically  all  its 

3  Hopkins,  Arthur,  "How's  Your  Second  Act?"  p  19. 
*  Cheney,  Sheldon,  Editorial,  "The  Road  Town  Problem."     "The- 
ater Arts  Magazine,"  December,  1917,  p.  47. 


6  CHOOSING  A  PLAY 

performances,  cheap  or  expensive  to  produce, 
without  regard  for  importance  or  worth.^  It  has 
been  able  to  keep  the  same  show  running  season 
after  season  reaping  profits  of  hundreds  of  thou- 
sands of  dollars.  Under  the  monopoly  system 
the  gambling  aspect  of  the  theater  business  has 
developed.  So  profitable  has  centrahzation  of 
theatrical  control  been  found,  that  the  exploiters 
have  now  become  un^villing  to  keep  going  a  pro- 
duction which  brings  them  a  profit  of  less  than 
ten  percent.  "A  play  which  does  not  realize  this 
profit  is  discarded  as  a  failure.  Four  failures 
out  of  five,  then,  must  be  paid  for  by  the  over- 
whelming profits  of  a  single  fifth  production. 
Those  plays  which  might  earn  two  hundred  dol- 
lars per  week  are  killed  off,  therefore,  to  make 
room  for  other  plays,  frequently  less  worthy,  that 
may  earn  a  profit  of  two  thousand  per  week. 
Big  business  demands  that  a  play  in  order  to 
earn  the  privilege  of  a  continuance  of  its  existence 
shall  reap  a  profit  of  several  hundred  percent  of 
the  original  investment.     Any  project  which  de- 

B  Matthew,  Bi-ander,  "What  is  the  Matter  with  the  Theater?" 
"Unpopular  Review,"  January,  1917,  p.  56. 


THE  THEATER  7 

mands  a  profit  of  more  than  ten  percent  is  not 
business,  but  gambling."  ^  "And  the  profes- 
sional gambler,"  says  Sheldon  Cheney,  "is  the  last 
person  in  the  world  to  take  a  risk.  So  the  Broad- 
way producer,  afraid  above  all  else  to  play  the 
game  in  a  new  way,  repeats  himself  year  in  and 
year  out,  and  New  York  spills  to  the  four  corners 
of  the  country  an  unending  stream  of  musical 
comedies  and  revues,  and  crook  plays  and  society 
farces."  ^  Thus  the  commercial  theater  has  sub- 
ordinated all  considerations  of  the  drama  to 
purely  mercenary  motives.  A  good  play  has 
come  to  mean  a  "successful"  play,  and  a  success- 
ful play  to  mean  a  play  that  earns  enormous 
profits.  The  results  of  the  capitalizing  of  enter- 
tainment have  been  deep-seated  both  as  to  society 
and  art,  and  no  phase  of  dramatic  presentation 
has  been  unaffected.** 

It  is  well  to  ask  ourselves  what  it  is  that  we 
are  expecting  from  the  theater  and  are  not  re- 

« Hamilton,    Clayton,    "The    Non-Commercial    Drama."    "Book- 
man," May  1915,  p.  2T6. 

7  Collier,  John,  ''The  Theater  of  Tomorrow,"  "Survey,"  Jan.  1, 
1916,  p.  385. 

8  Dickinson,  Thomas,  "The  Case  of  the  American  Drama,"  p.  94. 


8  CHOOSING  A  PLAY 

ceiving.  How  far  ought  the  theater  to  be  serv- 
iceable to  civilization?  What  are  the  duties 
which  we  claim  we  have  a  right  to  demand  from 
the  theater? 

This  statement  may  serve  as  a  thesis  for  the  fol- 
lowing discussion :  The  public  has  a  right  to  de- 
mand of  the  theater,  necessary  and  inevitable  as 
it  is,  and  powerful  as  are  its  possibilities  for  good 
or  evil,  a  definite,  conscious  educational  influence. 

In  the  first  place  we  can  not  do  without  the 
theater.  As  an  amusement,  a  form  of  relaxation 
and  relief,  it  is  a  necessity.  It  meets  a  great  hu- 
man need,  satisfying  natural  curiosity,  the  crav- 
ing for  excitement  and  the  love  of  excursions  into 
the  world  of  imagination ;  ^  and  allowing  freedom 
from  self-interest.  The  complexity  of  modern 
life,  American  life  especially,  taxes  our  supreme 
strength.  For  proper  balance,  for  health  of 
mind  and  body,  we  need  relaxation.  We  need  to 
let  down  and  to  let  down  often.  America  of  all 
countries  can  not  afford  to  neglect  her  institutions 
which  provide  relaxation.     With  the  growth  of 

9  Curtis,  Elnora  Whitman,  "The  Dramatic  Instinct  in  Educa- 
tion," p.  2T. 


THE  THEATER  9 

the  industrial  classes  and  the  growing  tendency 
toward  specialized  labor,  has  come  the  danger  of 
developing  in  our  people  a  narrow  precision  and 
definiteness,  an  inclination  to  be  over-practical, 
one-sided,  and  perhaps  machine  like.  A  great 
proportion  of  our  population  are  office-workers 
and  mechanics,  the  nature  of  whose  work  de- 
mands primarily  concentrated  attention  to  de- 
tails. These  men  need,  above  all,  a  form  of  relief 
and  relaxation  which  will  open  up  new  channels 
of  expression,  something  to  broaden  their  con- 
ceptions, something  to  free  them  from  tenseness. 
Mr.  Patrick  in  his  book  "The  Psychology  of  Re- 
laxation" says,  "There  must  be  large  periods  of 
relaxation  from  the  high  tension  life  of  toda3^ 
If  they  are  not  provided  in  the  form  of  healthful 
and  harmless  sports  there  will  be  instability, 
fatigue,  and  social  outbreaks."  ^^ 

The  frightful  movie  craze  is  a  form  of  relief 
which  our  people  as  a  nation  have  eagerly  grasped 
in  their  desperate  need  for  recreation,  for  some 
sort  of  change  from  the  monotony  and  strain  of 
the  work-a-day  world.     Now  the  di-ama  is  able 

10  Patrick,  G.  T.  W.,*"The  Psychology  of  Relaxation,"  p.  21. 


10  CHOOSING  A  PLAY 

to  afford  a  complete  relaxation.  It  provides  an 
outlet  for  pent-up  emotions,  giving  rise  to 
laughter  and  tears;  it  provides  a  generous  reac- 
tion after  strain  or  intense  concentration;  it 
breaks  down  inhibitions;  it  allows  of  self-forget- 
fulness.  Even  when  the  emotions  aroused  are 
unpleasant,  the  effect  is  often  in  the  nature  of  re- 
lief rather  than  of  strain,  since  the  person  in  the 
audience  is  not  personally  related  to  the  action. 
The  sympathy  and  interest  are  with  the  heroine 
or  hero ;  the  spectator's  fear  of  the  villain  is,  after 
all,  only  in  behalf  of  these  people  in  the  story, 
and  because  the  spectator  at  the  play  is  not  di- 
rectly and  personally  concerned  with  the  action, 
he  can  share  completely  the  experiences  of  the 
players  without  self-restraint,  or  self -conscious- 
ness. And  there  is  relaxation  in  getting  outside 
oneself.  The  people  need  amusement  as  they 
need  work  and  food  and  sleep  to  keep  them  sane 
and  healthy.  The  theater  as  an  effective  form  of 
amusement,  then,  is  a  social  necessity  which  can 
not  be  ignored.  The  people  created  it,  out  of 
their  necessity  to  satisfy  their  impulses,  to  indulge 


THE  THEATER  11 

their  leisure  moments ;  they  always  will  maintain 
it,  even  when  it  is  unworthy,  out  of  their  necessity. 
And  the  joy  of  the  theater  as  a  human  necessity 
is  that  it  educates  while  it  amuses.  It  estabhshes 
a  constructive  leisure.^^  For  it  is  in  a  man's 
leisure  moments,  when  the  bars  are  down,  or,  we 
may  say,  when  he  is  off  his  guard,  that  he  is  most 
easily  influenced,  that  his  impulses  are  obeyed, 
that  actions  are  stimulated,  that  impressions  are 
made  upon  him.  And  the  man  at  the  theater 
does  not  know  that  he  is  being  educated — there- 
fore he  does  not  resent  it.^^  He  just  sits  in  the 
audience  and  takes  in  his  education,  unknow- 
ingty,  as  easily  as  he  breathes.  The  efficacy  of 
the  theater's  power  lies  in  its  irresistibihty.  Lit- 
tle children  have  a  passion  for  a  "show."  News- 
boys stand  in  front  of  playhouses  and  beg  to  be 
taken  in.  Even  wi1;h  the  feeble-minded,  the 
theater  makes  its  appeal. ^^  No  religious  disap- 
proval, no  pinidishness,  no  legal  enactment,  has 

11  Burleigh,  Constance,  "The  Community  Theater,"  p.  113. 

12  Stocking,  Helen,  "Social  Theater  and  its  Possibilities,"  "Over- 
land Monthly,"  April  1916,  p.  2-68. 

"Collier,  John,  "Tlie  Theater  of  Tomorrow."  "Survey,"  Janu- 
ary 7,  191C,  p.  38v\ 


12  CHOOSING  A  PLAY 

been  able  to  eliminate  it  from  society/^  The 
theater  is  inevitable.  It  appeals  to  all  classes  of 
people  because  it  appeals  to  the  senses.  Human 
beings  cannot  resist  the  spectacle  of  a  play,  they 
cannot  resist  the  sound  of  it,  they  cannot  resist 
the  story.  And  because  everybody  likes  the 
theater,  and  never  tires  of  it,  the  theater  is  demo- 
cratic as  no  other  institution  ever  can  be.  It  is 
universally  appealing  and  therefore  universally 
powerful. 

There  are  many  sides  to  the  theater  as  an  edu- 
cational force.  We  shall  not  go  into  a  discussion 
of  its  very  obvious  educational  advantages.  It  is 
perhaps  generally  recognized  that  the  theater 
gives  us  inforaiation,  historical,  for  instance,  in 
a  form  which  we  can  keep  longer  than  we  can 
keep  information  gained  in  any  other  way.  It  is 
natural  that  the  stage  should  teach  more  effec- 
tively than  literature,  for  instance,  because  we 
can  not  forget  what  we  have  learned  by  watching 
events  as  they  might  really  have  happened,  by 
hearing  words  as  they  might  really  have  been 
spoken,  and  we  are  very  Hkely  to  forget  what  we 

14  Andrews,  Charlton,  "Drama  of  Today,"  p.  207. 


THE  THEATER  13 

have  only  read  from  a  printed  page.  Education 
has  come  to  include  rather  broad  aspects,  and  the 
theater  is  unlimited  in  its  possibilities  for  help. 
For  one  thing,  in  the  theater  lies  the  possibility 
of  cultivating  the  taste  of  a  nation.  The  theater 
is  not  only  one  art,  but  a  combination  of  all  the 
arts,  the  joint  product  of  the  efforts  of  all  artists, 
musician,  playwright,  poet,  composer,  dancer, 
architect,  sculptor,  painter,  and  actor. ^^  And 
the  arts  come  in  a  pleasant  form  at  the  theater. 
The  refining  influence  "gets  over,"  therefore, 
easily,  without  a  struggle,  to  an  unconscious  and 
receptive  audience.  The  man  who  would  not 
enter  an  art  gallery  on  his  life,  will  go  to  the 
theater,  for  the  music  perhaps,  or,  perhaps,  for  a 
favorite  actor.  He  will  see  a  stage  picture  which 
is  good,  which  has  esthetic  value,  and  he  will  have 
gained  something  in  the  experience.  Frequent 
enjoyment  of  beautiful  harmonious  stage  setting 
will  cultivate  in  him  at  least  something  of  a  taste 
for  line  and  color  and  light.  It  works  on  the 
principle  which  governs  our  reading.  Grood 
books  spoil  bad  ones  for  us.     And  so  with  the 

IS  Burleigh,  Constance,  "The  Community  Theater,"  p.  113. 


14  CHOOSING  A  PLAY 

other  arts.  Served  as  they  are  in  combination 
with  each  other  we  gladly  accept  a  little  of  each, 
and  while  we  are  being  pleasantly  amused,  we 
learn  to  appreciate. 

"In  all  great  art,"  says  Charlton  Andrews, 
"there  is  an  unmistakable  and  emphatic  ethical 
significance.  ...  A  growing  popular  taste  for 
the  stage  means  a  growing  popular  appreciation 
of  a  potent  means  of  helpful  comment  on  life."  ^® 
"Fine  art,"  says  Bernard  Shaw,  "is  the  subtlest, 
the  most  seductive,  the  most  effective  means  of 
moral  propagandism  in  the  world,  excepting  only 
the  example  of  personal  conduct."  ^^  Oscar 
Wilde's  theory  is  that  life  imitates  art,  and  Archi- 
bald Henderson  adds  that  "a  comparison  of  the 
waning  influence  of  the  church  with  the  wax- 
ing influence  of  the  theater  as  a  guide  to  conduct 
is  a  conspicuous  verification  of  AVilde's  suggestive 
theory."  ^^  Miss  Jane  Addams  has  made  the 
following  observation  in  connection  with  her  so- 
cial experience,  "In  moments  of  moral  crisis  now, 
the  great  theater-going  public  turns  to  the  say- 

!«  Andrews,  Charlton,  "The  Drama  of  Today,"  p.  212. 

17  Henderson,  Archibald,  "The  Changing  Drama,"  p.  14. 

18  Ibid.  p.  17. 


THE  THEATER  15 

ings  of  the  hero  who  found  himself  in  a  similar 
plight.  The  sayings  may  not  be  profound,  but 
they  are  at  least  applicable  to  conduct."  ^^  And 
Archibald  Henderson  comments  again,  "Indeed, 
we  may  go  further  and  say  that  people  of  all 
classes  in  moment  of  emotional  stress  often  un- 
consciously reproduce  expression  which  they  have 
heard  their  favorite  heroes,  heroines,  and  villains 
utter.  Only  a  genius  in  the  simple  expression 
of  elemental  feeling,  in  a  crucial  situation  is  ca- 
pable of  giving  voice  to  natural  feelings  as  if  he 
had  never  witnessed  the  work  of  dramatic  or  Ac- 
tive art."  ^^  Certainly  we  cannot  ignore  the  in- 
fluence which  the  acted  drama  has  upon  our  moral 
conduct  especially  in  our  youth.  The  most  im- 
pressive lesson  we  can  learn  comes  through  per- 
sonal experience.  Second  only  to  that  in  effec- 
tiveness is  living  the  experience  in  "make-be- 
lieve." Seeing  and  hearing  the  thing  acted  on 
the  stage  follows  closely  in  significance.  Miss 
Elnora  Whitman  Curtis  in  her  book  "The 
Dramatic  Instinct  in  Education"  cites  several  in- 

19  Henderson,  Archibald,  "The  Changing  Drpma,"  p.  17. 

20  Ibid. 


16  CHOOSING  A  PLAY 

stances  in  which  simple-hearted  people  have  di- 
rectly admitted  the  moral  inspiration  which  the 
theater  has  given  them.  One  girl  who  had  been 
vitally  interested  in  Portia  of  "The  Merchant  of 
Venice,"  declared  she  wanted  to  be  good  now, 
*'  'cause  of  her."  It  is  easy  to  be  indifferent  to 
the  statement  we  might  read  or  hear,  "The  man 
who  murders  will  be  punished,"  but  who  can  for- 
get a  story  he  has  seen  impressively,  grippingly 
acted  in  which  a  murderer  suffers  a  terrible  fate  ? 
When  we  consider  how  many  of  us  go  to  the 
theater,  and  how  often  we  go,  and  how  closely 
associated  the  drama  is  with  life,  we  can  not  deny 
that  the  theater  will  play  a  part  in  shaping  the 
manners  and  morale  of  our  people.  In  the  words 
of  Bernard  Shaw,  the  theater  forms  "the  mind 
and  affections  of  men  in  such  sort  that  whatso- 
ever they  see  done  in  show  on  the  stage,  they  will 
presently  be  doing  in  earnest  in  the  world,  which 
is  but  a  larger  stage."  -^  Thus  far  we  have  con- 
sidered the  theater  as  a  public  institution  where 
people  go  to  watch  and  listen.     If  we  give  it  a 

21  stocking,  Helen,  "The  Social  Theater  and  Its  Possibilities." 
"Overland  Monthly,"  April  1916,  p.  272. 


THE  THEATER  17 

broader  significance  and  consider  the  theater  as 
all  dramatic  production,  we  find  its  greatest  edu- 
cational influence,  its  highest  developing  power 
in  the  effect  upon  those  people  who  participate 
in  the  acting,  in  amateur  plays,  in  school  plays,  in 
"home  talent  shows"  if  you  will.  Amateur  pro- 
duction is  a  force  which  can  not  be  overestimated 
in  the  field  of  education.  The  large  imitative 
factor  in  dramatic  play  of  cliildren  makes  it  a 
rare  educational  instrument.^^  Dramatization 
in  connection  with  education  has  offered  an  out- 
let for  self-expression  to  young  people,  an  oppor- 
tunity to  break  the  fetters  of  self-consciousness, 
and  to  develoj)  their  dramatic  instinct  body,  mind, 
and  soul,-^  Eleanor  Robson  in  an  article  on 
"The  Theater  and  Education"  remarked,  "There 
is  no  school  like  the  school  of  experience.  The 
playing  of  parts  can  be  experience  in  living."  -^ 
An  article  by  Miss  Helen  Stocking,  "The  Social 
Theater  and  Its  Possibihties,"  takes  the  same 

22  Curtis,  EInora  Whitman,  "Dramatic  Instinct  in  Education," 
p.  99. 

23  Stocking,  Helen,  "The  Social  Theater   and   Its   Possibilities." 
"Overland   Monthly,"   April   1916,   p.   368. 

24  Robson,     Eleanor,     "Theater     and     Education."    "Outlook," 
March  7,  191 T,  p.  412. 


18  CHOOSING  A  PLAY 

point  of  view.  Through  dramatization,  Miss 
Stocking  contends,  a  child  brought  up  in  unfavor- 
able environment  may  receive  conceptions  or 
ideals  of  taste,  of  properly  spoken  English,  house 
furnishings,  dress,  school  reform,  in  a  word,  the 
Art  of  Living. ^^  Participation  in  dramatic 
forms  presents  possibilities  for  reforming  and 
creating  personalities.^®  For  it  is  not  what  goes 
into  the  man  that  develops  him;  it  is  the  thing 
which  comes  out,  the  thing  which  is  responded  to 
by  expression.  Miss  Stocking  has  observed  that 
there  is  real  value  in  assigning  to  a  timid  child 
the  role  of  a  character  of  confidence  and  courage, 
in  allowing  him  to  assume  the  qualities  he  lacks. 
Out  of  the  make-believe,  something  will  remain 
in  the  child's  personality.  The  bad  boy  finds  that 
it  is  quite  as  interesting  to  direct  his  energy  and 
emotional  bent  into  deeds  of  chivalry  and  heroic 
deeds  as  into  crime.^^  The  children  love  the 
recreational  exercise  of  their  dramatic  instincts, 
and  there  can  be  no  doubt  that  grammar  school 

25  Cf.  note  24,  p.  270. 

26  Stocking,  Helen,  "The  Social  Theater  and  Its  Possibilities." 
"Overland  Monthly,"  April  1916,  p.  270. 

2T  Ibid.,  p.  268. 


THE  THEATER  19 

pupils  are  gripped  with  a  stronger  power  than 
even  the  movies  can  exert."^  In  a  word,  dramat- 
ization is  one  of  the  most  effective  means  of  vital 
education. 

But  the  effect  of  the  theater  bears  a  less  tan- 
gible aspect.  There  is  a  certain  influence  which 
the  drama  exerts  over  the  theater-going  public 
and  over  the  drama-acting  public  which  is  rather 
hard  to  define.  There  is  a  certain  richness  which 
the  drama  gives  us  in  taking  us  now  and  then  out 
of  the  commonplaceness  and  sordidness  of  our 
narrow  experience.  JNIary  Austin  calls  it  one  of 
the  things  which  make  up  a  "glamor-filled  life." 
"The  theater,"  she  says,  "is  a  form  through  which 
man  expresses  and  expands  his  relation  to  the  in- 
visible forces.  It  is  normal  for  man  to  live  in  an 
atmosphere  of  glamor.  Under  shadow  or  gleam 
of  ideals,  the  human  soul  has  its  home.  All  chil- 
dren live  thus,  so  do  all  primitives,  so  did  most 
societies  through  most  of  histoiy.  It  is  thru 
glamor  that  men  find  deliverance,  and  all  high 
motives  are  mythopoetic  motives.  A  glamor- 
as  weiier,  Chcarles  F.,  "A  Children's  Playhouse."  "Survey," 
Feb.  19,  1916. 


20  CHOOSING  A  PLAY 

filled  life  is  a  life  of  dramatized  relationships  and 
dramatic  consciousness.  Through  the  deliberate 
use  of  dramatic  powers,  ideals  may  be  changed, 
the  quality  of  conscious  life  may  be  changed,  and 
ultimately,  as  a  matter  of  course,  the  direction  of 
a  social  movement  may  be  changed."  ^^  Richard 
Mansfield  once  passionately  said,  "The  stage  is 
for  poetry,  for  all  the  things  some  of  us,  lying  on 
the  grass,  with  our  faces  to  the  skylark,  dream 
of  on  a  summer  day  or  on  a  moonlit  evening; 
those  things  that  come  to  us  with  a  whiff  of  the 
balsam  pine,  or  the  touch  of  a  soft  hand,  or  the 
discovery  of  a  withered  flower.  Poetry  is  in  us 
always  and  will  crop  out  in  the  most  hardened  of 
us,  and  where  we  should  always  see  it,  and  where 
it  will  forever  awaken  all  that  was  born  good  and 
beautiful  in  us,  is  upon  the  stage/' 

I  have  sketched  briefly  what  the  theater  should 
be  able  to  accomplish.  As  a  necessary  social 
force,  as  a  perfect  form  of  relaxation,  it  is  in  a 
position  to  teach  more  lessons  to  more  people  in  a 
more  attractive  and  stimulating  way  than  is  any 

29  Collier,  John,  "The  Theater  of  Tomorrow."     "SurVey,"  Jan. 
7,  1916,  p.  833. 


THE  THEATER  21 

other  force.  It  is  able  to  teach  moral  lessons 
more  easily  and  more  effectively  than  the  chm*ch 
or  the  school,  because  its  scope  is  unlimited,  and 
because  it  reaches  people  when  they  are  receptive 
and  unrestrained,  through  the  pleasing  medium 
of  story  and  music  and  spectacle.  The  theater 
is  able  also  to  cultivate  artistic  appreciation  in  a 
nation,  as  well  as  to  develop  an  understanding  of 
history,  language,  good  speech,  of  ideals.  The 
theater  ought  to  be  our  most  efficacious  civilizing 
and  nationalizing  agent. 


CHAPTER  II 

DRAMATIC    PRODUCTION    AND    THE    EDUCATIONAL 
CURRICULUM 

"The  theater  is  the  most  potent  and  direct 
means  of  strengthening  human  reason  and  en- 
lightening the  whole  nation. — Louis-Sehastian 
M.  Mercier." 

Figures  and  deductions  were  collected  from  a 
questionnaire  sent  out  in  1918  to  some  thirty  of 
the  leading  colleges  and  universities  of  the  coun- 
try— from  California  and  Texas,  to  Maine  and 
Virginia.  Only  co-educational  institutions  were 
addressed,  and  the  larger  proportion  was  state 
colleges  or  universities,  as  it  seemed  desirable  to 
ascertain  what  the  attitude  of  the  people's  institu- 
tions is  toward  dramatic  activities.  It  was  in  the 
hope  that  more  constructive  attention  and  legisla- 
tion might  be  given  to  this  important  field  and  its 
proper  educational  function,  that  this  question- 

22 


DRAMATIC  PRODUCTION         23 

naire  was  undertaken,  and  it  is  in  the  same  hope 
that  the  results  are  here  submitted. 

Following  is  a  list  of  the  twelve  questions 
asked,  together  with  the  letter  which  accompanied 
each  set  of  questions.  Replies  were  received 
from  twenty-seven  institutions,  and  the  writer 
takes  this  opportunity  to  thank  those  who  were 
kind  enough  to  give  full  and  helpful  answers,  and 
in  some  cases  to  send  useful  material. 

The  Questionnaire 

Institution : 

Answered  by:  Title  or  position: 

1.  How  many  Dramatic  Clubs  for  men?  Women? 
M.  &  W.? 

2.  Which  do  you  think  the  better  policy  in  co-educational 
schools,  to  have  clubs  co-educational  or  separate? 

3.  To  what  extent  are  clubs  under  faculty  supervision 
and  guidance? 

4.  Do  they  give  out-of-town  performances? 

5.  Does  the  out-of-town  performance  offer  advantages 
in  added  interest,  training,  receipts,  assistance  to  communi- 
ties in  the  bettering  of  dramatics,  sufficient  to  warrant  urg- 
ing its  allowance  ? 

6.  Are  productions  made  in  University  buildings  or  out- 
side? 

7.  If  outside,  are  clubs  put  under  heavy  financial  burden 
in  rental? 

8.  If  given  in  University  buildings,  are  the  producing 
elements  adequate,  viz : 


24  CHOOSING  A  PLAY 

a.  Size  of  stage. 

b.  Lighting. 

c.  Scenery. 

9.  Are  the  producing  elements  adequate  outside,  as  above, 
viz: 

a.  Size  of  stage. 

b.  Lighting. 

c.  Scenery. 

10.  Do  clubs  do  original  writing  or  producing? 

11.  Is  a  special  "coach"  engaged  from  outside  the  uni- 
versity .'* 

12.  If  special  coach  is  not  secured,  what  faculty  mem- 
ber has  the  work  in  charge.'' 

The  letter  read  as  follows : 

"I  am  conducting  an  investigation  concerning  dramatics 
as  pursued  in,  and  fostered  by,  various  universities  and 
colleges  in  the  United  States.  May  I  engage  your  interest 
and  assistance  in  the  answering  of  the  enclosed  questions.'' 

"It  is  my  belief  that  dramatic  activities  are  given  too 
little  place  in  the  regular  work  of  our  higher  education 
institutions,  and  that  they  are  considered  entirely  too  much 
as  an  extra-curricular  matter.  As  a  result,  too  little  en- 
couragement is  given  in  the  way  of  careful  and  competent 
direction,  and  adequate  or  even  appropriate  opportunity  for 
rehearsal  and  production. 

"Anything  you  care  to  add  in  the  way  of  a  personal 
letter  touching  upon  these  questions,  or  on  the  matter  as  a 
whole,  will  be  gratefully  received  and  carefully  considered. 
May  we  not  hope  to  accomplish  something  for  Dramatics 
through  this  questionnaire? 

"If  you  are  interested  in  the  results  I  shall  be  glad  to 


DRAMATIC  PRODUCTION        25 

hear  from  you  and  to  send  you  whatever  material  I  have 
gathered." 

Tabulations  from  the  replies  gave  the  follow- 
ing results : 

No.  1   Number  of  clubs  for  men 11 

(5  musical  comedy)  6  dramatic 

Number  of  clubs  for  women 8 

Number  of  co-ed.  clubs 34 

No.  2.  The  better  policy. 

Co-educational 2 

Place  for  both 

No  view 

Separate  and  co-operate 

Either    

Both  work  well 

Separate,  never  tried  the  other. 

No.  3.  Faculty  Supervision. 

Censorship 6 

Advisory    , 6 

None  at  all 4 

Assistance    1 

Supervision    1 

Indeterminate   1 

Guides   1 

Direct  Guidance 7 

No.  4.  Out  of  town  performances. 

Yes 11 

No    8 

Through  extension 3 

At  times 3 

No  answer 2 


26  CHOOSING  A  PLAY 

No.  5.  Does  out  of  town  pay? 

Yes 11 

No    4 

No  answer    5 

Except  in  money    2 

Uncertain 5 

No.  8.  Producing  conditions  in  college  buildings. 

Excellent 1 

Good    , 5 

Fair    3 

Poor 12 

No.  9.  Producing  elements  outside  college  buildings. 

Excellent 2 

Good    14 

Fair   3 

Poor , 2 

No.  7-  Expense  incurred  in  producing  outside  college 
buildings. 

On  a  per  cent,  basis 3 

No  answer 1 

Under  heavy  expense 23 

No.  10.  Original  writing. 

Yes 2 

No    17 

A   Little    5 

One  act  plays 2 

Men's  Musical  Comedy 1 

No.  11.  Special  Coach. 

No    M 

Yes 5 

At  times 5 

Musical  Comedy 3 


DRAMATIC  PRODUCTION        2T 

No.  12.  Department  doing  most  of  the  directing  if  out- 
side coach  is  not  engaged. 

Public  Speaking 17 

English    3 

Anyone    3 

No  coaching   4 

About  half  of  those  addressed  expressed  some 
interest  in  the  effort  of  the  questionnaire,  sending 
helpful  letters  and  data.  Eight,  only,  cared  to 
receive  word  of  the  results. 

A  careful  consideration  of  this  data  is  disheart- 
ening, but,  with  the  above  facts  before  us,  one 
need  no  longer  wonder  that  Dramatics  remain 
the  most  utterly  extra  curricular  step-child,  a 
thing  to  be  conscientiously  censored.  Treated 
as  a  stranger,  entirely  outside  the  educational 
household,  it  is  hardly  to  be  supposed  that  much 
of  constructive  value  may  be  expected  from  it. 

It  is  easy  to  see  that  the  presenting  opportuni- 
ties are  utterly  inadequate,  and,  apparently,  there 
is  little  or  no  attempt  to  provide  anything  ade- 
quate. Students  are  obliged  to  depend  upon  a 
college  audience,  and  they  must  meet  the  undue 
expense,  which  they  are  bound  to  incur,  produc- 
ing in  outside  facilities.     Faculties  o])ject  to  the 


28  CHOOSING  A  PLAY 

class  of  material  presented,  and  yet,  the  students 
have  no  alternative  but  to  i^resent  a  class  of  ma- 
terial that  will  appeal  to  the  average  college 
group. 

Fifty-three  clubs  are  reported  in  these  twenty- 
seven  schools.  These  are  permitted  to  exist,  but 
given  no  assistance  to  make  them  the  constructive 
power  in  dramatic  taste  of  which  they  are  capable. 
Usually  performances  can  be  given  only  on  week- 
end evenings,  when  even  a  student  audience,  of 
any  size,  or  of  a  representative  nature,  is  entirely 
a  gamble,  because  competition  of  all  week-end 
activities,  of  dances,  parties,  and  the  like,  must  be 
reckoned  with. 

The  question  of  the  personnel  of  clubs  has  been 
raised  in  some  places.  In  this  connection  it  is 
interesting  to  note  that  thirty-four  of  the  groups 
comprise  both  men  and  women,  while  of  the 
eleven  comprising  men  alone,  five  are  musical 
comedy  clubs,  men  taking  the  women's  parts  in 
more  or  less  burlesque  fashion.  This  leaves  but 
six  dramatic  clubs  for  men  alone,  and  eight  for 
women.  It  is  the  opinion  of  twenty-one,  who  re- 
ply in  very  definite  fashion,  that  the  co-educa- 


DRAMATIC  PRODUCTION        29 

tional  group  offers  the  only  constructive  oppor- 
tunity. 

Administrators,  who  are  adverse  to  even  dis- 
cussing the  potential  influence  for  good  which 
presentations  taken  from  the  state  institutions  to 
other  towns  might  exercise  on  these  communities, 
should  be  interested  in  the  following  figures.  In 
seventeen  of  the  twenty-seven  colleges,  out-of- 
town  performances  are  not  prohibited.  This  is 
exclusive  of  the  musical-comedy  clubs  composed 
entirely  of  men.  These  clubs  exist,  apparently, 
for  the  sole  purpose  of  taking  out-of-town  trips, 
and  their  value  to  other  communities  is  never 
questioned, — even  though  the  public  is  all  but  lost 
in  a  sea  of  hopelessly  inane,  and  useless  musical 
comedy  slush.  Walter  Pritchard  Eaton  in  a 
recent  article  on  "The  American  Theater  and 
Reconstruction,"  ^  says,  "A  majority  of  the 
American  people — and  I  believe,  if  the  figures 
could  be  ascertained,  a  stupendous  majority — 
are,  at  the  present  time,  utterly  beyond  the  reach 
of  any  influence  the  drama  might  exert."     The 

1  Eaton,  Walter  Pritchard,  "The  American  Theater  and  Recon- 
struction."    "Theater  Arts  Magazine,"  Jan.,  1919. 


30  CHOOSING  A  PLAY 

drama  has,  in  all  ages,  been  a  constructive  force 
in  the  life  of  the  people  and  nation  where  it  flour- 
ished. It  has  yet  to  be  proved  that  musical 
comedy  has  any  right  to  existence  on  any  similar 
basis. 

Perhaps  the  most  interesting  reports,  from 
some  points  of  view,  were  under  the  heading  of 
faculty  connections.  In  seven  instances  out  of 
the  twenty-seven,  there  is  direct  faculty  guidance 
and  assistance.  Four  say  frankly  there  is  none 
at  all,  six  censor,  and  the  advisory  situation  is 
really  only  another  term  for  censorship.  There 
are  six  of  these,  while  the  terminology  used  by  the 
rest  to  explain  whatever  connection  there  is,  is 
illuminating  in  itself. 

Most  of  the  directing  of  this  activity  is  in  the 
hands  of  the  department  of  PubHc  Speaking. 
The  work  is  certainly  public  speaking,  and  I 
know  of  no  other  department  which  should  be 
so  interested  in  seeing  dramatic  activity  assume 
its  proper  place  in  the  educational  curriculum. 
I  submit,  however,  that  a  competent  coach  of 
debate,  or  a  teacher  of  argumentation,  is  not 
necessarily  competent  to  produce  a  play.     Also, 


DRAMATIC  PRODUCTION         31 

I  doubt  if  many  such  would  feel  the  necessity  of 
putting  dramatic  activity  on  a  par  with  their 
debate  work,  much  less,  of  seeing  that  it  might 
have  even  more  significance  than  that  activity. 
In  any  case,  the  work  of  dramatics  is  being  done 
successfully  and  correctly,  with  full  authoritative 
backing,  only  by  men  and  women  whose  interests 
are  first  and  last  in  this  field.  For  such  depart- 
ments as  have  chainnen  whose  interests  are  else* 
where  primarily,  an  instructor  of  the  proper  cali- 
ber and  training,  who  shall  be  paid  a  proper 
salary,  and  not  be  dependent  on  some  portion  of 
the  proceeds  of  each  given  performance,  would 
go  far  to  better  the  situation.  People  really 
trained  and  fitted  for  this  position  are  few,  and, 
when  found,  can  command  and  deserve  a  place 
on  any  faculty,  and  a  salary  worthy  of  their 
powers. 

Under  such  conditions,  dramatic  activity  has 
been  carried  on.  In  the  changes  to  be  made  in 
the  administration  of  education,  is  it  impossible 
to  bring  this  activity  into  its  rightful  relation  to 
the  life  of  the  educational  institutions,  and  thus 
assist  in  making  it  a  constructive  force  in  the 


32  CHOOSING  A  PLAY 

civic  life  of  our  communities?  Mr.  Eaton,  whose 
article  I  have  already  quoted,  says  again,  that  in 
our  reconstruction  work  dramatically,  "we  must 
strengthen  all  our  independent  (free  of  the 
trusts)  playhouses  everywhere,  by  making  com- 
munities dramatically  alive,  by  encouraging 
municipal  recognition  of  the  drama  in  practical 
form,  by  counteracting  the  dreadful  blight  of  the 
movies  wherever  possible,  especially  through 
neighborhood  playhouses  and  people's  theaters 
and  amateur  gi-oups  and  the  schools.  Every 
school  should  have,  and  some  day  will  have,  a 
stage  and  teach  Shakespeare  in  action,  to  which 
end  I  believe  the  Drama  League  branches  should 
seek  everywhere  to  elect  at  least  one  member  to 
the  local  school  board."  He  adds,  that  today  the 
trained  capacity  for  dramatic  judgment  is  non- 
existent, save  in  the  two  producing  centers  of  this 
great  country.  New  York,  and  in  a  much  smaller 
way,  Chicago.  And  still  educational  institutions 
have  no  place  for  educational  work  in  dramatics ! 
It  is  clear  to  those,  who  give  constructive 
thought  to  the  matter  of  dramatic  production, 
that  in  no  one  direction  do  state  supported  insti- 


DRAMATIC  PRODUCTION        33 

tutions  owe  a  greater  debt  to  the  community  and 
nation  they  serve,  than  in  this  veiy  matter.  The 
life  of  a  nation,  moral,  social,  artistic,  even  po- 
litical and  economic,  is  not  and  cannot  be  separ- 
ated from  its  amusements.  And  yet,  in  these  om* 
great  institutions  of  learning,  save  in  some  three 
or  four  instances,  in  the  whole  country,  where  are 
these  problems  attacked?  What  effort  is  made 
to  establish  taste  and  appreciation  so  that  some- 
thing beside  musical  comedy  and  cheap  thrillers 
may  be  appreciated?  Is  it  no  shame  to  these  in- 
stitutions that,  as  a  nation,  we  are  almost  without 
artistic  taste  in  any  direction,  and  are  so  rated 
by  other  nations?  "A  national  art  consciousness, 
a  national  art  unity  is  what  is  needed.  Such  a 
condition  is  at  present  impossible  in  America; 
and  to  the  fact  that  it  has  been  so  long  impossible 
I  believe  we  can  trace  no  little  of  our  national 
indifference  to  vital  drama,  and  our  lack  of  a  liv- 
ing relation  to  the  theater.  Further,  so  long 
as  it  remains  impossible,  I  believe  any  attempt, 
or  any  hope,  to  make  the  drama  serve  national 
needs  in  reconstruction  will  be  vain.  And  by 
national  needs  in  reconstruction  I  hold  not  the 


84  CHOOSING  A  PLAY 

least  to  be  a  living  contact  with  beauty,  with 
things  of  the  imagination,  of  the  spirit,  of  the 
creative  mmd,  with  the  great  art  works  of  other 
nations  as  well  as  our  own,  with  things  serious  and 
abstract  as  well  as  frivolous  and  materialistic." 
I  again  quote  Mr.  Eaton. 

Courses  are  offered  in  our  educational  cur- 
ricula about  the  drama  as  a  structure,  and  about 
dramatists.  To  what  end?  Academic  to  be 
sure,  and  the  rest  is  silence.  When  the  students, 
in  such  courses,  have  satisfactorily  wi'itten  their 
examination  at  the  end  of  the  course,  all  educa- 
tional ( ?)  ends  have  been  satisfied. 

Where  is  play -writing  to  be  encouraged? 
Only  in  the  offices  of  the  syndicates?  We  find 
a  great  many  people  who  object  to  the  sort  of 
plays  produced,  but  when  and  where  is  the  brand 
to  be  bettered?  Such  efforts,  as  are  put  forth, 
are  again  academic.  Cannot  we  understand 
that  this  activity  to  be  of  any  real  value,  must 
have  a  place  in  which  to  operate  in  actual  experi- 
ment? Producers  object  to  attempts  which 
come  to  their  hands,  because  they  have  exactly 
the  mark  they  might  be  expected  to  have,  never 


DRAMATIC  PRODUCTION        35 

having  any  foundation  save  good  English  struc- 
ture, and  a  theorized  form.  Students  could  be 
interested  in  the  arduous  task  of  perfecting  them- 
selves in  this  form  of  writing,  if  only  tliey  could 
go  clear  through  the  activity  of  seeing  their  at- 
tempt have  actual  presentation  with  something 
like  adequate  production. 

Trusts  are  discussed,  civic  problems  are  labored 
over,  economics  in  all  sorts  receive  full  attention 
in  our  accredited  classes.  What  of  the  full  and 
complete  subsidization  of  our  theaters,  visited  by 
all  classes  to  see  whatever  fare  the  syndicate  sets 
forth,  at  whatever  price  it  chooses  to  fix?  Our 
young  men  are  sent  out  versed  in  business  ideals 
along  many  lines,  prepared  to  seek  legislation, 
to  do  constructive  civic  work.  Is  this  not  a  field 
worthy  of  their  best  labors  ? 

We  are  told  that  the  class  of  students  inter- 
ested in  dramatics  is  not  of  the  highest  type ;  that 
very  often  their  grades  are  among  the  lowest,  and 
that  only  a  small  number  are  interested  anyway. 
If  this  be  true,  is  there  any  likelihood  that  a 
larger  and  more  important  group  can  be  inter- 
ested in  this  activity  and  its  problems,  so  long 


36  CHOOSING  A  PLAY 

as  our  college  faculties  and  authorities  refuse 
even  to  consider  the  subject  of  dramatic  presenta- 
tion, in  other  than  the  hopelessly  defaming  light 
of  the  completely  extra-curricula  activity,  giving 
it  no  constructive  assistance  in  any  particular? 

The  past  few  years  have  seen  an  attempt,  more 
wide  spread  and  far  reaching  than  any  previous 
one,  to  effect  a  change  in  affairs  dramatic  in  this 
country.  The  movement  has  not  been  confined 
to  this  country.  Indeed,  our  attempt  is  largely 
due  to  inspiration  from  abroad.  Greater  gains 
have  been  made  in  other  countries  than  in  ours, 
because  of  national  interest,  legislation,  and  back- 
ing. Anything  national  in  this  direction  in  this 
country  is  to  be  hoped  for  in  the  reconstruction 
period.  Hope  springs  eternal,  and  so  I  say,  we 
may  hope !  Work  of  great  importance  has  been 
done  in  France,  in  Germany,  in  Russia,  and  in 
England.  To  the  cause  in  this  country,  men  and 
women  of  the  highest  culture  and  training,  col- 
lege men  and  women,  have  given  and  still  are 
giving,  their  best  thought  and  effort.  Two 
things  block  them  at  every  turn,  an  enormously 
wealthy  syndicate  with  its  bought  and  paid  for 


DRAMATIC  PRODUCTION        37 

press  "criticism,"  and  a  public  with  little  taste  for 
things  artistic  in  any  form.  It  is  in  this  problem 
of  the  public  that  educational  institutions,  of 
every  rank,  should  take  a  part,  and  a  prominent 
one.  Their  opportunity  is  with  that  vast  number 
which  is  to  go  out  year  after  year  to  affect,  to 
make,  indeed,  the  standards  of  our  communities 
in  this  as  in  other  fields. 

Our  theatrical  purveyors  of  best  paying  goods, 
assure  us  that  they  produce  what  the  public 
wants!  Surely  we  are  lost  already  if  this  is  true. 
But  it  is  not.  Which  public  does  the  syndicate 
refer  to?  Is  there  only  one?  "It  is  a  mistake 
to  say  that  the  public  demands  what  it  shall  have, 
since  that  presupposes  some  standard  already 
fixed  by  the  public,  and  up  to  now  so  far  as  its 
taste  is  concerned,  the  American  public  has  not 
set  up  one  requirement."  ^  "The  continental 
public  has  gone  dramatically  to  school  for  several 
centuries;  it  is  artistically  grown  up,  reasonably 
mature.  Ours  has  been  left  to  shift  aimlessly  for 
its  schooling,  practically  unprovided  by  our  tlie- 
aters  with  formative  discipline  in  art,  good  taste, 

2  Hopkins,  Arthur,  "How's  Your  Second  Act?'"  p.  19. 


38  CHOOSING  A  PLAY 

or  ideas,  while  it  has  spent  its  time  crying  for 
meaningless  diversion,  for  which,  for  a  consider- 
ation, it  has  been  provided,  ad  nauseam,  with  the 
result  that,  like  a  spoiled  child,  it  has  lost  all  idea 
of  what  it  is  crying  for."  ^ 

These  words,  coming  from  men  well  known  in 
the  dramatic  world  must  carry  some  weight  on 
the  question  of  audience.  And  in  this  connec- 
tion, in  a  recent  number  of  the  "Fortnightly  Re- 
view," ^  we  find  a  noted  English  actor  and  scholar 
touching  upon  the  same  points  we  are  trying  to 
emphasize.  Reviewing  this,  the  London  corre- 
spondent of  the  "Christian  Science  Monitor" 
writes,  in  part,  as  follows:  "We  have  established 
a  vicious  circle,  within  which  the  public  are  given, 
and  again  in  turn  are  taught  to  ask  for,  work 
that  can  serve  no  better  purpose  than  that  of  whil- 
ing  away  a  leisure  hour. 

"Now  this  condition  of  things  dramatic  must 
end.  The  moral  forces  that  war  has  nurtured 
among  the  democracies  of  the  world,  will  not 
permit  an  instrument,  so  potential  for  good  as  the 

sMacKaye,  Percy,  "The  Playhouse  and  the  Play,"  p.  166. 
4  Eadie,  Dennis,  "What  is  the  Matter  with  the  Theater?"    Fort- 
nightly Review,  Nov.  1918. 


DRAMATIC  PRODUCTION        39 

drama,  to  be  exploited  solely  for  the  benefit  of 
men  of  affairs.  Means  for  restoring  the  player's 
art  to  the  place  that  Shakespeare  rightly  claimed 
for  it — as  a  mirror  of  the  best  thought  of  the  time 
— will  certainly  be  found.  What  is  to  be  the 
nature  of  those  means,  we  do  not  yet  know ;  but 
they  may  perhaps  be  intelligently  anticipated. 
Among  the  more  obvious  will  be  the  establish- 
ment of  state-endowed  theaters  and  opera  houses 
which,  by  encouraging  a  taste  for  sound  drama 
well  acted  and  simply  produced  at  low  prices,  will 
compete  strongly  with  the  production  of  rich  syn- 
dicates; and  will  encourage  less  wealthy  actor- 
managers,  and  producers  with  ideals  again  to 
venture  upon  the  presentation  of  drama  of  which 
they  need  not  be  ashamed. 

"But  the  vital  determining  means  of  deliver- 
ance from  present  conditions  are  to  be  sought  and 
found  deeper  down  in  the  national  consciousness. 
Those  interested  in  the  theater  as  an  institution 
with  a  larger  purpose  than  idle  entertainment  on 
the  one  hand  or  mere  money-making  on  the  other 
— and  they  are  more  in  number  than  is  generally 
supposed — must  encourage  in  every  possible  way 


40  CHOOSING  A  PLAY 

— by  presentation  and  production,  by  pen,  by 
purse,  by  propaganda — the  acceptance  of  a 
national  drama,  as  an  integral  part  of  a  wider 
national  scheme  of  education."  ^ 

Here,  it  seems  to  me,  is  work  worthy  of  the  best 
efforts  of  the  best  in  educational  curricula.  Dra- 
matic presentation  and  the  community  are 
mutually  dependent  on  each  other ;  dramatic  pres- 
entation depending  for  its  existence  on  the  sup- 
port of  the  people,  and  for  its  standards  upon 
the  standards  set  by  the  people;  and  there  must 
be  created  in  the  people  a  desire  for  what  is  good 
in  the  theater. 

To  accomplish  this  we  should  begin  with  the 
children  in  the  elementary  schools.  How  can  we 
expect  to  bring  up  a  generation  which  will  evolve 
into  an  educated  and  discriminating  audience,  if 
we  allow  our  children  to  believe  that  the  height  of 
dramatic  excellence  lies  in  western  film  dramas 
and  Keystone  comedies,  and  "lies  and  lies!" 
Children's  theaters,  supported  by  pubhc  funds, 
and  participated  in,  and  attended  frequently,  by 

5  "Christian  Science  Monitor."  "Dramatists  of  Coming  Years." 
Jan.  28,  1919. 


DRAMATIC  PRODUCTION        41 

all  the  children  in  the  city,  will  be  of  inestimable 
value  in  supporting  the  dramatic  education  in  the 
schools.  Such  theaters  are  already  operative  in 
New  York  and  in  San  Francisco.  Between 
these  two  points  there  is  yet  considerable  territory 
to  be  reached ! 

Conceptions  of  the  drama  and  of  dramatic  pro- 
duction in  all  its  phases,  gained  by  pupils  of  high 
school  age,  are  likely  to  be  the  conceptions  they 
will  retain  as  standards.  Secondary  education, 
therefore,  ought  rightly  to  include  possibilities  for 
rather  broad  training  in  the  field  of  dramatics. 
The  principles  of  good  production  should  be 
learned  by  experimentation,  which  should  be  car- 
ried on  along  extensive  lines.  Ideally,  all  the 
pupils  would  have  a  fair  opportunity  to  work 
with  the  drama  in  its  many  phases,  and  so,  in  Mr. 
MacKaye's  words,  go  "dramatically  to  school." 
The  dramatic  activity  in  our  high  schools  under 
the  present  system,  which  allows  only  a  small 
selected  group  to  work  intensively  on  an  annual 
class  or  school  play,  is  of  very  meager  influence. 
Extensive  participation  in  various  productions 
will  inevitably  result  in  an  interest  in,  and  an  un- 


42  CHOOSING  A  PLAY 

derstanding  of,  dramatic  values.  I  will  not  take 
time  here  to  name  the  departments  of  the  high 
schools,  whose  interest  and  assistance  should  be 
engaged  in  this  activity.  The  object  should  be 
to  destroy  the  old  idea  that  only  a  few  "gifted" 
actors  and  actresses  in  embryo,  are  the  only  peo- 
ple to  be  interested  in,  or  to  profit  by,  dramatic 
activities. 

I  believe  the  high  schools,  far  more  than  the 
higher  institutions  of  learning,  have  reahzed  the 
possibilities  in  this  field,  and  as  a  whole  have  done 
much  better  work  in  organizing  it  to  its  best 
advantage.  They  have  the  greatest  opportunity. 
They  deal  with  the  greatest  number,  and  can  go 
far  to  mould  taste  and  spread  knowledge  in  the 
community  with  which  they  come  in  close  and 
direct  contact. 

One  serious  matter  should  be  brought  to  the 
attention  of  principals  and  those  in  charge  of  dra- 
matic production,  i.  e.,  the  way  in  which  the  funds 
from  such  production  are  disbursed.  In  several 
summers'  experience  with  teachers,  I  find  when  I 
ask  what  is  the  greatest  hindrance  to  progress  in 
the  work  of  dramatics,  they  say  that  it  is  lack  of 


DRAMATIC  PRODUCTION        43 

proper  producing  elements.  They  add,  however, 
this  need  not  be  so,  if  only  some  portion  of  the 
income  from  productions  might  go  into  improve- 
ments. They  say  the  students  are  eager  and  will- 
ing to  work  for  such  ends,  as  are  the  teachers 
themselves.  The  principal,  however,  has  other 
ideas,  and  in  far  too  many  cases,  we  have  subsi- 
dization of  quite  as  heinous  a  sort  as  the  syndicate 
evidences.  The  proceeds  of  athletics  are  turned 
back  to  athletics  in  great  part,  if  only  to  pay  the 
salary  of  the  most  competent  director  available. 
The  money  from  a  play  on  the  other  hand,  may 
be  appropriated  for  almost  any  school  use,  from 
a  drinking  fountain  to  a  printing  press — with  no 
voice  given  to  those  who  have  produced  the  same. 
Not  that  it  is  inappropriate  to  make  this  activity 
prove  its  use,  in  some  measure,  after  this  fashion, 
but  that  constructive  interest  cannot  grow,  nor 
the  proper  producing  elements  be  increased,  un- 
less a  portion  of  the  proceeds  of  every  perform- 
ance be  turned  back  to  a  fund  for  the  betterment 
of  dramatics,  and  unless  more  than  one  person 
shall  decide  how  the  money  shall  be  distributed. 
But  it  is  to  the  colleges  and  higher  institutions 


44  CHOOSING  A  PLAY 

we  must  look  finally,  if  we  are  to  have  leaders  in 
this  field  of  endeavor.  As  the  situation  now 
stands,  we  have  seen  that  the  assistance  rendered 
the  dramatic  condition  of  our  country  by  our 
educational  institutions  is  practically  negligible. 
In  general,  the  part  the  college  courses  and  col- 
lege dramatic  societies  have  played  in  the  new 
movement,  has  been  greatly  exaggerated.  Cer- 
tain narrow  isolated  phases  of  the  drama  and  of 
production,  studied  by  a  small  and  unrepresenta- 
tive number  of  students,  have  been  hailed  and 
exalted  as  of  great  assistance  in  the  field  of  dra- 
matic and  theatrical  improvement.  To  teach 
playwriting  to  thirty  or  forty  students,  or  to  pre- 
pare a  few  trained  scenic  artists  is  not  to  improve 
the  general  theatrical  situation  to  any  degree. 
Not  until  we  can  send  out  into  the  world  a  large 
number  of  college  graduates  with  a  broad  under- 
standing of  the  whole  comprehensive  field  of  the- 
atrical production  and  its  relation  to  the  life  of 
the  nation,  will  we  be  rightly  helping  the  situation 
Dramatic  production  in  its  broadest  conception 
should  be  studied  in  our  colleges  and  universities 
as  other  great  social  and  economic  problems  are 


DRAMATIC  PRODUCTION         45 

studied,  and  academic  credit  should  not  be  denied 
courses  in  such  a  vitally  important  and  humanly 
necessary  subject. 

When  the  dramatic  education  of  our  audiences 
is  on  its  way,  then  will  the  Little  Theater,  the 
pageant,  the  local  stock  company,  and  other 
efforts  to  improve  the  forms  of  theatrical  activity, 
come  into  their  own.  As  a  correlated  activity, 
and  as  a  secondary  aid  to  public  education,  they 
will  be  invaluable  in  keeping  the  standards  of 
dramatic  production  high.  When  the  public  is 
awakened  to  the  realization  of  the  necessity  to 
improve  a  great  human  institution,  like  the 
theater,  by  creating  within  itself  a  unity  of  ideal 
and  taste,  then  we  need  no  longer  worry  about 
being  imposed  upon  by  the  low  standards  of  a 
theatrical  syndicate.  Without  the  toleration  and 
support  of  the  public,  the  commercialized  theater 
will  be  unable  to  exist.  The  solution  of  the  whole 
problem  lies  through  one  medium  only — the  edu- 
cation of  the  people.  This,  it  seems  to  me,  rests 
very  much  more  in  the  hands  of  the  educational 
authorities,  than  they  have  remotely  conceived. 
It  is  time  to  ask  their  full  consideration.     The 


46  CHOOSING  A  PLAY 

welfare  of  dramatic  production  in  America  is  in 
the  hands  of  the  educational  institutions.  It  is 
theirs  to  cherish  or  stifle,  and  the  problem  is 
second  to  none  in  its  sociological  aspects  and 
importance. 

If,  as  directors  of  this  work,  we  have  failed  to 
build  as  large  as  we  should,  if  we  have  not  fought 
as  good  a  fight  as  we  might,  now  is  the  time  to 
make  a  new  effort.  Writers  of  plays  are  needed, 
trained  directors  are  at  a  premium,  artists,  in  line 
and  color,  have  more  opportunity  than  years  of 
dramatic  production  have  seen.  Critics  of  real 
value  in  taste  and  vision,  as  well  as  sound  dra- 
matic knowledge,  who  are  unafraid  of  the 
syndicate,  were  never  more  in  demand;  even 
theater  architecture  is  engaging  the  attention 
of  the  most  competent  builders.  All  this 
comes  rightly  under  the  head  of  dramatic  ac- 
tivities. Literature  on  the  subject,  we  have  in 
a  larger  and  more  authoritative  body  than  ever 
before.  Surely  the  field  warrants  our  united 
and  untiring  efforts,  to  place  dramatic  produc- 
tion among  the  accredited  subjects  in  any  cur- 
riculum.    Three  things  militate  against  the  work. 


DRAMATIC  PRODUCTION        47 

First  and  always,  inadequate  producing  possibili- 
ties; second,  the  lack  of  a  regularly  recognized 
faculty  member,  with  rank  and  salary  compar- 
able to  any,  to  teach  dramatics  in  courses  that 
shall  receive  academic  credit;  and  third,  freedom 
to  work  out  the  problems  of  this  field  without 
censorship !  Perhaps  this  evil  would  be  removed 
if  the  second  element  were  always  present.  Cer- 
tainly it  should  be. 

Let  it  not  be  overlooked  by  any  one  who  reads 
this  article,  that  it  is  as  useless  to  attempt  to  carry 
on  successful  courses  along  any  of  these  lines, 
with  theory  predominating,  and  with  no  adequate 
facilities  for  experimentation  and  complete  pres- 
entation, as  it  is  to  teach  painting  without  canvas 
and  colors,  or  sculpture  without  chisel  and  marble. 
If  our  educational  institutions  are  interested  to 
better  the  standards  of  dramatic  presentation  in 
America,  let  an  adequate  place  for  that  presenta- 
tion be  provided  in  every  such  institution  in  the 
countiy. 


CHAPTER  III 

WHY   THE   ONE-ACT   PLAY? 

I 

For  all  who  are  really  interested  to  produce 
worth-while  material  the  place  and  importance  of 
the  above  named  form  of  dramatic  literature  can- 
not be  overlooked  nor  underestimated. 

The  rise  and  activity  of  the  Little  Theaters 
has  made  possible  the  use  of  more  material  in 
one-act  form  than  has  been  before  feasible.  One- 
act  plays  of  a  poorer  sort  have  been  used  for  a 
long  time  by  clubs  desiring  the  most  trivial  sort 
of  entertainment,  and  as  an  act  on  the  vaudeville 
stage,  or  as  a  curtain  raiser.  By  far  the  greater 
part  of  all  this  material  has  been  of  an  impossible 
sort,  with  no  theme  worth  the  naming,  and  less 
structure.  The  material  now  available  is  of  an 
entirely  different  sort  and  worthy  to  be  classed 
as  literature.  Much  of  it  indeed  is  from  the  pen 
of  some  of  the  ablest  of  writers  of  literature  in 

48 


WHY  THE  ONE-ACT  PLAY?      49 

dramatic  and  other  forms.  Witness  such  names 
as  Barrie,  Shaw,  Lady  Gregory,  Dunsany,  Yeats, 
Synge,  Chapin,  Brighouse,  Hausman,  and  many 
others  abroad,  while  the  names  of  Percy  Mackaye, 
Susan  Glaspell,  Howard  Brock,  Ridgley  Tor- 
rence,  Ahce  Gerstenberg,  Eugene  O'Neill  and 
Hartley  Manners  are  only  a  few  of  the  writers 
who  have  produced  valuable  literature  in  this 
form  in  this  country.  College  and  University 
groups  have  been  quick  to  see  the  advantages  in 
the  use  of  this  form  of  the  drama  and  much  good 
has  been  accomplished  by  their  presentation  of 
one-act  plays.  This  writing  and  presentation  has 
been  encouraged  largely,  as  I  said,  by  the  wider 
use  of  the  form  in  this  country,  and  more  par- 
ticularly, perhaps,  by  the  use  of  the  one-act  play 
in  the  best  theaters  of  Europe. 

Mr.  Lewis,  Associate  Professor  of  English  in 
the  University  of  Utah,  author  of  "The  Tech- 
nique of  the  One-Act  Play,"  has  the  following  to 
say  in  a  recent  bulletin  sent  out  by  that  Univer- 
sity :  "The  one-act  play  is  challenging  our  atten- 
tion whether  we  will  or  no.  It  is  the  most  con- 
spicuous factor  in  present-day  dramatic  activity. 


50  CHOOSING  A  PLAY 

It  is  not  the  three-act  play  that  is  foremost  in  these 
times;  but  it  is  the  one-act  form  that  is  receiving 
the  consideration  of  those  interested  in  the  drama. 
Theater  managers  in  both  Europe  and  America, 
stage  designers  the  world  over,  actors,  dramatists 
themselves,  and  likewise  the  professors  in  colleges 
and  universities  recognize  its  presence  as  a  vital 
force.  Professionals  and  amateurs  alike  are  de- 
voting most  zealous  energies  to  both  the  writing 
and  the  producing  of  the  shorter  dramatic 
form."  ^  While  this  is  rather  fulsome  laudation 
of  the  place  and  importance  of  this  form,  it  serves 
to  show  the  sort  of  interest  and  attention  being 
given  to  this  matter  of  the  one-act  play.  It  is  an 
interest  and  attention  which  should  be  fostered  by 
all  who  care  for  the  betterment  of  dramatic  ac- 
tivity in  the  schools  and  on  the  legitimate  stage. 

Doubtless  there  are  objections  to  the  use  of  this 
form  as  compared  with  longer  plays,  but  it  is  also 
true  that  there  is  much  to  be  said  in  favor  of  their 
use.  It  is  not  to  be  expected  that  a  long  theme 
will  be  developed,  it  is  not  desired.     Indeed,  the 

1  "The  One-Act  Play  in  the  Colleges  and  High  Schools."  Lewis, 
Extension  Series,  No.  2,  University  of  Utah,  Salt  Lake  City, 
Utah. 


WHY  THE  ONE-ACT  PLAY?      51 

added  intensity  of  treatment  which  is  possible 
in  the  one-act  play  is  one  of  its  chief  advantages. 
To  quote  again  from  Mr.  Lewis'  bulletin,  "It 
must  not  be  thought  that  because  the  one-act  play 
deals  with  but  one  crisis  or  situation,  it  is  weals; 
and  inconsequential;  on  the  contrary,  since  only 
one  event  or  situation  can  be  emphasized,  it  fol- 
lows that  the  writer  is  obliged  to  choose  the  one 
determining  crisis  which  makes  or  mars  the  su- 
preme struggle  of  a  soul,  the  one  great  change  or 
turning  point  or  end  of  a  life  history.  Such  mo- 
ments are  the  really  vital  material  for  drama; 
nothing  affords  more  wonderful  opportunity  for 
striking  analysis,  for  emotional  stress,  for  the  sug- 
gestion of  a  whole  character  sketched  in  the  act 
of  meeting  its  test.  To  segregate  a  bit  of  signifi- 
cant experience  and  to  present  a  finished  picture 
of  its  aspects  and  effects;  to  dissect  a  motive  so 
searchingly  and  skilfully  that  its  very  roots  are 
laid  bare;  to  detach  a  single  figure  from  a  dra- 
matic sequence  and  portray  a  sketch  of  its  char- 
acter; to  bring  a  series  of  actions  into  clear  light 
in  a  sudden  and  brief  human  crisis;  to  tell  a  sig- 
nificant story  briefly  and  with  suggestion ;  to  por- 


52  CHOOSING  A  PLAY 

tray  the  humor  of  a  person  or  an  accident,  or  in 
a  trice,  to  reveal  the  touch  of  tragedy  resting  like 
the  finger  of  fate  on  an  experience  or  on  a  char- 
acter— these  are  some  of  the  possibilities  of  the 
one-act  play  when  handled  by  a  master  drama- 
tist." 

I  am  well  aware  that  smaller  schools  and  towns 
are  not  accustomed  to  the  program  of  one-act 
plays,  and  it  will  take  a  bit  of  management  to 
have  them  accepted  at  first.  It  is  worth  the  effort 
and  the  trial  will,  in  most  cases,  convince  you  that 
the  attempt  was  a  distinct  advance  in  your  dra- 
matic activity.  There  are  specific  advantages 
which  may  be  urged,  and  which  will  be  at  once 
appreciated.  Usually  the  one-act  play  calls  for 
a  smaller  royalty  and  this  is  a  decided  advantage 
to  the  small  school  which  is  ambitious  to  do  some- 
thing better  than  of  old.  Again,  more  people 
can  be  fitted  with  better  parts  than  is  ever  possible 
with  one  long  play.  That  there  is  not  the  same 
value  of  sustained  activity  as  in  a  longer  part,  I 
know,  but  not  half  the  amateurs  engaged  in  this 
activity  are  capable  of  attaining  the  same  degree 
of  success  when  called  upon  to  sustain  the  situa- 


WHY  THE  ONE- ACT  PLAY?      53 

tion  of  their  character  for  the  space  of  three  or 
more  acts.  At  least,  this  requires  amateurs  of 
age,  training  and  experience.  A  great  variety  is 
possible  in  a  program  of  one-act  plays.  Fancy, 
comedy  in  all  degrees,  poetry,  tragedy,  and  all 
shades  of  characterization  are  available. 

There  is  also  a  wide  latitude  in  the  matter  of 
costume  and  stage  settings.  Again  the  literature 
of  Russia,  Germany,  France,  England,  Italy  and 
Spain  may  be  read  and  acted  in  this  form.  Many 
of  the  longer  plays  of  these  countries  are  impos- 
sible for  amateur  use  because  of  the  nature  of 
the  themes  treated.  Several  of  the  foremost 
writers  of  literary  merit  in  each  of  these  countries 
are  represented  in  the  one-act  play  form. 

In  a  discussion  of  the  values  of  the  one-act 
play  in  Mr.  Clayton  Hamilton's  "Studies  in 
Stagecraft,"  he  speaks  in  the  highest  terms  of  the 
desirability  of  the  one-act  play  for  amateurs.  He 
says:  "To  encourage  amateur  acting  is  to  prepare 
an  audience  for  the  keen  appreciation  of  the  pro- 
fessional theater;  and  any  policy  that  meets  the 
needs  of  amateurs  should  therefore  be  encour- 
aged."    I  urge  that  all  directors  of  amateur  dra- 


54  CHOOSING  A  PLAY 

matics  give  one-act  plays  a  thoroly  fair  considera- 
tion and  trial.  They  will  prove  invaluable  in 
many  otherwise  unsolvable  situations. 

A  glance  at  the  lists  which  follow  and  which 
are  by  no  means  complete,  will  assure  one  of  the 
amount  of  good  material  available  in  this  form. 
The  first  list  of  over  seventy  books  which  contain 
only  one-acts,  comprises  a  group  of  over  three 
hundred  plays.  The  next  list  of  plays  of  a  very 
good  sort,  has  over  seventy,  the  other  three  lists 
comprise  a  hundred  more,  and  brings  the  total  to 
very  nearly  five  hundred  plays  listed  in  these  lists 
alone.  I  hoj)e  they  may  serve  as  a  guide  and  an 
inspiration  to  the  doing  of  better  things. 

(See  Part  II,  Sections  V,  VI,  and  VII  for  lists 
of  one-act  plays. ) 


CHAPTER  IV 

DRAMATICS   IN    THE    HIGH    SCHOOL 

(Under  my  direction  a  questionnaire  was  sent  in  the  spring 
of  1920  to  98  of  the  High  Schools  of  Wisconsin,  in  towns  of  2000 
and  over.  The  questions  had  to  do  with  the  grade  of  plays  pro- 
duced in  the  past  five  years,  with  titles  of  plays,  amount  of  royalty 
paid,  conditions  for  producing,  and  who  did  the  directing.  Re- 
plies were  tabulated  and  deductions  and  observations  made  from 
the  data  received  by  R.  E.  Holcombe.) 

That  the  question  of  bettering  the  situation  of 
high  school  dramatics  is  of  paramount  importance 
to  the  high  schools,  is  attested  by  the  fact  that 
three-quarters  of  the  replies  to  this  questionnaire 
contained  requests  for  a  copy  of  the  results. 

The  greatest  problem  which  presents  itself  is, 
apparently,  the  choice  of  material.  The  prin- 
cipal of  one  of  the  largest  High  Schools,  in  an- 
swer to  the  inquiry  as  to  the  attitude  of  the  prin- 
cipal toward  this  work,  states  very  clearly  the 
importance  of  the  choice  of  material. 

"In  reply  to  your  letter  asking  my  attitude 
toward  dramatics  in  the  high  school,  I  am  very 

55 


56  CHOOSING  A  PLAY 

glad  to  be  able  to  express  an  opinion,  since  it  must 
be  only  an  opinion  as  we  have  no  means  at  present 
of  measuring  the  value  that  our  dramatic  work  is 
to  the  school.  However,  from  apparent  results 
obtained,  I  would  say  that  it  is  one  of  the  most 
important  of  our  activities. 

"We  see  the  effect  of  our  training  on  our  pupils 
in  that  for  four  or  five  years  after  they  have  left 
our  school  they  apparently  enjoy  participation  in 
the  reproduction  of  good  plays.  They  also  enjoy 
listening  to  the  reading  and  production  of  high 
grade  work  by  other  people.  Our  pupils  have  an 
appreciation  of  good  things  that  they  never  would 
have  had  were  it  not  for  the  excellence  of  the 
work  done  by  our  Dramatic  Department. 

"I  feel  that  our  choice  of  plays  is  largely  re- 
sponsible for  this  effect  on  our  pupils.  I  cer- 
tainly condemn  the  spending  of  time  and  energy 
on  cheap  plays  and  trashy  lines.  I  do  not  believe 
that  the  time  of  teachers  or  pupils  should  be  given 
to  such  stuff.  I  do  know  that  the  work  our 
pupils  have  done  in  producing  the  works  of 
Shakespeare  and  other  dramatists  of  high  order 
more  than  fully  repays  the  time  spent  in  their 


DRAMATICS  57 

production.  When  I  see  other  schools  wasting 
their  time  on  silly  plays  of  no  literary  value  and 
of  no  particular  dramatic  merit,  it  makes  my 
heart  ache.  So  I  think  that  a  dramatic  depart- 
ment that  gives  attention  to  the  production  of  the 
best  things  in  literature  is  one  of  the  strongest 
possibilities  for  good  in  the  school;  whereas,  if 
the  time  of  the  dramatic  department  is  given  to 
trashy  things,  my  opinion  is  that  the  work  could 
be  better  left  undone." 

Again  and  again,  we  find  that  in  the  smaller 
schools  the  choice  of  material  is  a  matter  which 
is  given  very  little  serious  consideration.  In  this 
connection  a  number  of  difficult  situations  arise. 
Perhaps  the  person  delegated  to  direct  has  once 
starred  in  "The  Merchant  of  Venice,  Up-to-date." 
Therefore,  it  is  expedient  that  they  pass  down 
this  valuable  ( ?)  play  to  posterity  via  the  Senior 
Class.  Or  perhaps  the  principal  "waylays"  the 
director  some  noon  to  say  that  "so-and-so,  son 
of  the  banker,  influential  with  the  school  board, 
that  is, — ah — er" — etc. — and  the  cast  appears 
with  the  banker's  son  in  the  leading  role — and, 
mind  you,  the  play  must  be  suited  to  show  off 


58  CHOOSING  A  PLAY 

"son"  as  a  young  Lochinvar  even  though  he  is 
naturally  quite  unfitted  for  so  heroic  a  role.  In 
the  smaller  towns  it  is  too  often  the  case  that 
poor  material  is  appreciated  far  beyond  its  worth 
because  the  end  in  view  is  that  of  showing  off 
daughter  "Bess."  If  Henry  can  stand  out  from 
the  rest,  even  to  say,  "The  carriage  awaits,"  the 
fond  parents  are  satisfied  and  the  play  is  excel- 
lent. For  this  type  of  difficulty  I  can  only  say, 
"Make  the  best  of  it."  You  can  work  gradually 
out  of  it  by  a  little  foresight  and  a  generous 
amount  of  diplomacy  always  backed  with 
knowledge  such  as  a  director  should  have. 

An  exceedingly  difficult  situation  to  meet  is 
the  one  voiced  by  those  who  say  that  better  mate- 
rial would  not  be  "the  thing"  for  om*  town,  "they 
just  wouldn't  stand  for  it.  We  have  to  give 
them  what  they  want."  This  reaction  seldom 
comes  from  those  who  have  tried  anything  but 
this  same  trash  year  in,  year  out.  "What  the 
audience  wants!"  Breathes  there  an  audience 
that  knows  what  it  wants?  Ask  typical  theater 
goers  what  they  want  in  theatrical  amusement 
and  then  follow  them  to  the  theater  and  see  what 


DRAMATICS  59 

they  applaud, — something  exactly  the  opposite 
of  that  which  they  expressed  a  desire  to  see. 
The  questionnaire  paid  special  attention  to 
this  one  matter,  "What  part  has  the  audience  in 
determining  the  choice  of  material  to  be  used?" 
In  a  majority  of  cases  the  answer  was,  "None," 
though,  it  was  suggested  that  in  many  of  the 
smaller  towns  this  is  not  the  case.  However, 
even  in  the  smaller  towns,  it  is  within  the  director's 
power  to  steer  in  the  direction  of  better  material 
though  that  power  is  not  absolute. 

The  director  has  the  opportunity  of  bringing 
the  high  school  play  out  of  the  rut  of  the  trashy, 
gushy  play,  with  its  babbling  lines  to  something 
a  little  more  worth  while.  By  plays  of  the  "bet- 
ter sort"  I  do  not  mean  that  one  should  jump 
from  "The  Blossoming  of  Mary  Anne,"  to  Mil 
ton's  "Comus,"  or  to  any  artistic  fantasy  of  an 
aesthetic  tyj^e,  but  that,  at  least,  one  should  not  go 
from  one  year's  "Fascinating  Fanny  Brown"  to  a 
next  year's  "Treacherous  Tillie  Tompkins"  con- 
tinuously. It  is  only  by  taking  to  the  up-grade 
that  we  can  ever  hope  to  gain  our  goal  in  high 
school  dramatics. 


60  CHOOSING  A  PLAY 

The  royalty  element  does,  of  course,  influence 
the  choice  in  a  great  many  instances,  and  is  an 
insurmountable  barrier  to  many  right  thinking 
directors.  The  idea  of  its  being  impossible  to 
pay  any  royalty,  however,  should  be  discouraged. 
Although  a  great  many  no-royalty  plays  may  be 
suitable  for  high  school  production,  it  is  true  that 
the  most  desirable  plays  carry  a  royalty  of  from 
five  dollars  to  fifty  dollars.  The  plays  carrying 
royalties  of  from  five  to  fifteen  dollars  are,  how- 
ever, the  most  desirable  of  these,  since  they  are 
best  suited  to  the  ability  of  high  school  students, 
and  to  the  conditions  of  staging  on  small  stages. 

In  many  cases  the  management  can  well  afford 
to  pay  for  good  material,  but  it  does  not  like  to — 
in  fact,  it  almost  insists  upon  a  no-royalty  play. 
In  one  instance,  a  principal  told  me  that  out  of 
the  play  funds  twenty-five  dollars  was  gladly 
paid  to  decorate  the  hall  for  the  dance  to  be  held 
after  the  play,  but  that  a  play  of  no  merit  was 
chosen,  instead  of  a  worth-while  piece,  merely  be- 
cause it  was  deemed  impossible  to  pay  a  fifteen 
dollar  royalty.  Good  material,  though  it  may 
cost   fifteen   dollars,   and  necessitate   volunteer 


DRAMATICS  61 

work  and  contributions  in  the  decoration  of  the 
hall,  will  result  threefold  in  the  effectiveness  of 
the  play  over  any  other  amount  expended  in  the 
interests  of  the  play.  With  the  procuring  of 
good  material,  a  tangible,  real  and  vital  link  in 
the  educational  value  of  this  activity  is  being 
welded. 

With  acceptable  material  chosen,  the  place  and 
conditions  of  production  must  next  be  considered. 
In  the  smaller  towns,  the  high  schools  must  either 
present  in  the  town  opera  house  or  hall,  or  in 
the  high  school,  on  the  shelf  called  a  stage.  In 
the  case  of  the  opera  house,  the  cast  often  is  not 
allowed  to  rehearse  on  the  stage,  and  in  many 
instances  the  rental  price  is  exorbitant. 

Too  often  it  is  true  that  the  school  does  not 
make  the  best  use  of  the  resources  available. 
The  greatest  mistake,  on  the  smaller  stages  with 
inadequate  equipment,  is  that  of  trying  to  be  too 
literal. 

A  few  suggestive  details,  carefully  worked  out, 
will  add  much  to  the  atmosphere  of  the  play, 
while  an  attempt  at  realism  will  invariably  fail 
because  of  inadequate  means  at  hand.     Pieces  of 


62  CHOOSING  A  PLAY 

tapestry  hung  here  and  there,  on  the  burlap  cur- 
tains, covering  the  back  walls  of  the  stage,  with  a 
rug  thrown  over  a  heavily  built  chair,  furnished 
the  suggestion  of  a  room  in  a  castle  in  a  most 
effective  school  play,  recently  produced.  The 
use  of  screens,  curtains,  or  even  a  wall  paper  to 
cover  some  of  the  atrocious  daubings  called 
scenery,  will  do  much  to  improve  the  situation 
in  which  you  find  yourself  placed.  As  to  the 
lighting,  if  it  is  decidedly  poor,  the  ingenuity  of 
the  high  school  senior  in  that  field  is  often  of  great 
assistance.  Set  a  student  at  work  upon  the  prob- 
lem, tell  him  exactly  what  you  want — and  the 
director  should  know  what  is  wanted — and  most 
desirable  results  may  be  attained.  In  all  phases 
of  production  make  the  most  of  the  means  at 
hand. 

Some  of  the  directors  of  dramatics  complain 
that  principals  directly  oppose  the  work  on  the 
ground  that  it  takes  time  away  from  other  work. 
Another  situation,  of  which  I  was  told  by  a  pupil 
in  the  school  in  question,  was  this :  The  play,  which 
the  school  had  just  staged,  took  up  five  weeks  in 
preparation,  the  last  three  of  which  represented 


DRAMATICS  63 

an  entire  loss  of  school  work  on  the  part  of  the 
cast  and  upset  the  school  generally,  so  that,  ac- 
cording to  the  principal,  himself,  the  whole  school 
might  just  as  well  have  been  excused.  Now,  here 
is  a  situation  to  be  met.  More  criticism  has  been 
offered  upon  this  point  than  on  any  other.  Prin- 
cipals speak  of  the  play  as  a  necessary  evil  for 
they  know,  in  a  great  many  cases,  that  it  is  virtu- 
ally a  "time  out"  proposition.  The  dramatic 
department  can  be  made  or  broken  right  at  this 
point.  What  is  the  solution?  In  one  high 
school  this  footnote  appears  at  the  bottom  of  the 
announcement  of  the  cast  of  each  play:  "I  will 
insist  upon  a  maintenance  of  high  grades  through- 
out the  time  taken  up  with  the  play.  No  excuse 
whatsoever  will  be  issued  on  the  grounds  of  your 
being  in  the  play.  I  reserve  the  right  to  take 
any  student  from  the  cast  and  substitute  in  case 
of  delinquency."  There  is  the  remedy  for  the 
difficulty  and  it  has  worked  for  eight  years,  with 
the  result  that  faculty  and  principal  cooperate 
with  the  department,  for  they  recognize  the  educa- 
tional value  of  the  activity.  A  director  has  the 
situation  in  his   own  hands  to  a  great  extent, 


64  CHOOSING  A  PLAY 

and  he  should  protect  his  position.  No  other  edu- 
cational activity  wastes  the  time  of  other  studies, 
and  so  it  should  be  with  dramatic  study.  Place 
this  activity  on  a  par  with  the  other  studies,  cease 
treating  it  as  an  "outside  activity"  and  this  com- 
plaint of  lost  time  will  be  unnecessary. 

In  order  that  the  dramatic  work  of  the  high 
school  may  be  taken  out  of  the  category  of  an 
"outside  activity"  in  which  it  has  been  considered, 
it  must  first  be  brought  into  harmonious  coopera- 
tion with  the  other  educational  activities  of  the 
school.  Where  the  coach  finds  himself  in  dis- 
favor, he  will  do  well  to  go  over  his  work  with 
that  view  in  mind.  Examples  could  be  cited  of 
high  schools  where  dramatics  was  considered  as 
an  outside  activity,  and  where  now  it  is  considered 
as  a  distinct  factor  in  the  educational  curriculum. 
The  change  has  been  due  almost  entirely  to  the 
coach.  When  a  school  reaches  such  a  point  that 
the  dramatic  department  is  referred  to  as  a 
source  of  added  interest  in  English  work,  of 
the  living  out  of  the  History  lesson,  of  the  vital- 
izing of  other  subjects  even  to  Latin  and  Mathe- 
matics, and  of  adding  a  zest  to  the  morale  of  the 


DRAMATICS  65 

school,  then  the  educational  importance  of  its 
work  will  be  recognized.  And  it  is  no  insuper- 
able task  for  the  director  to  overcome  the  difficul- 
ties of  the  present  and  rise  to  such  a  position. 
Directors  are  too  often  guilty  of  supposing  their 
lot  is  a  peculiar  one  and  subject  to  no  law  or 
order  of  the  school.  What  a  fallacious  assump- 
tion it  is  that  one  should  say  that  since  the  play 
work  is  not  done  within  school  hours  it  cannot  be 
classed  with  other  school  activities!  Regardless 
of  when  the  hours  come,  that  time  is  as  valuable 
and  as  vital  in  the  training  of  any  high  school  boy 
or  girl,  as  any  moment  spent  in  the  class  room. 
The  director  has  a  great  responsibility — that  of 
fixing  the  attitude  in  which  the  work  is  held.  A 
discipline  comparable,  as  far  as  possible,  to  that 
of  the  History  class  room,  maintained  throughout 
rehearsal  of  the  play,  will  tell  in  its  effect  upon  the 
participants,  in  the  new  attitude  with  which  they 
regard  what  they  are  doing.  An  insistence  that 
they  should  know  their  lessons  as  well  as  if  they 
were  asked  by  the  Latin  teacher  to  recite  what 
they  had  prepared,  will  inspire  a  respect  and  re- 
sponsibility for  what  they  had  formerly  con- 


66  CHOOSING  A  PLAY 

sidered  an  admirable  opportunity  for  having  a 
good  time.  To  cooperate  with  the  other  depart- 
ments it  is  not  only  necessary  that  one  should  not 
steal  his  time  nor  hinder  his  work,  though  that  is, 
of  course,  of  signal  importance,  but  furthermore 
that  the  dramatic  teacher  with  foresight  will  seize 
every  opportunity  afforded  in  the  way  of  mutual 
help  in  the  work. 

Of  late  years,  every  text  of  educational  psy- 
chology has  laid  great  stress  upon  the  educational 
value  of  the  utilization  of  the  play  instinct.  Edu- 
cators and  psychologists  have  proved  beyond 
question  that  play,  directed,  becomes  education, 
and  the  need  for  this  direction  has  at  last  been 
recognized  in  such  movements  as  the  Finlay- John- 
son dramatic  method  of  teaching  as  well  as  in  the 
organization  of  countless  clubs  throughout  the 
United  States,  the  "Mother's  Clubs,"  "Parent's 
Leagues,"  "Associations  for  Child  Study,"  the 
"Parent-Teachers'  Associations,"  etc.  Our  edu- 
cators now  realize  that  education  in  its  truest 
sense  lies  in  the  development  of  self-expression, 
the  freeing  of  the  agents  of  expression  in  the 
individual.     Old  methods  of  formal,  static  educa- 


DRAMATICS  67 

tion  are  being  revised  into  a  vital,  living  and 
breathing  self-expression.  Every  means,  which 
can  with  proper  direction,  bring  about  tlie  most 
complete  self-expression  in  wholesome  channels 
should  be  promulgated  during  the  period  in  which 
the  pupil  is  attending  high  school.  That  means 
which  offers  the  most  complete  schooling  of  the 
emotions  as  well  as  the  most  complete  self-expres- 
sion is  found  in  the  high  school  play.  At  this 
time,  the  drama  of  the  high  school  can  be  pre- 
sented to  prepare  the  growing  boy  and  girl  for 
the  drama  of  life.  Reactions  to  conditions  in 
dramatic  play  are  preparations  for  reactions  to 
conditions  in  later  life.  This  preparation  and 
adaptability  is  what  we  now  understand  real  edu- 
cation to  be. 

In  all  dramatic  work  the  emphasis  is  not  placed 
upon  one  element  to  the  exclusion  of  others,  but 
the  aim  is  toward  a  full  development.  The 
powers  of  the  mind  are  made  keener,  the  bodily 
movements  made  to  take  on  new  distinction  in 
ease  and  decision,  the  voice  is  made  more  pleasing, 
and  the  entire  human  mechanism  coordinated  into 
a  harmonious  whole.     In  this  process  the  normali- 


68  CHOOSING  A  PLAY 

ties  are  tested  and  the  abnormalities  shown  up  for 
immediate  correction.  The  high  school  play 
offers  in  its  educational  uplift  through  a  training 
of  the  vital  physical  powers,  a  preparation  for 
citizenship  which  will  help  to  free  the  individual, 
the  group,  and  the  nation  from  the  tragedy  of 
emotional  repression. 


CHAPTER  V 

THE   PLACE  OF  PAGEANTRY  IN   COMMUNITY  LIFE 

(Much  of  the  Avork  of  the  following  chapter  was  done  under 
my  direction  by  Geo.  H.  Shalts,  now  of  Southwest  Texas  State 
Normal  College.) 

The  interest  in  out-door  production  has  grown 
very  greatly  in  the  past  few  years,  and  while 
there  is  a  large  portion  of  the  country  in  which 
climatic  conditions  will  not  permit  of  very  much 
out-door  producing,  still  the  interest  has  been 
keen.  Many  teachers  and  social  workers  have 
constructed  tableaux,  plays  and  pageants  from 
local  material,  and  although  such  exhibitions  may 
be  crude,  they  have  the  marked  advantage  of  ap- 
pealing to  the  students  and  adults  of  the  school 
and  the  community.  The  movement  for  organ- 
ized activity,  dramatic  and  otherwise,  in  the  com- 
munity made  gi*eat  strides  forward  during  the 
war  period  when  the  value  of  such  organization 
and  such  activity  was  fully  demonstrated.     The 

69 


70  CHOOSING  A  PLAY 

organizations  which  had  charge  of  this  work  at 
that  time  are  being  estabhshed  as  permanent 
agencies  for  social  betterment  in  recreation.  So 
it  seems  that  we  should  give  some  consideration, 
as  directors,  dramatic  instructors,  or  whatever 
we  may  be  called,  to  the  place  of  pageantry  in 
community  life. 

"Our  industrial  sj^stem,"  writes  William  Mor- 
ris, "must  provide  as  a  first  essential  that  the 
products  of  work  shall  be  a  joy  to  the  worker 
who  produces  them  as  well  as  to  the  consumer 
who  uses  them."  But  how  can  such  principles 
apply  to  the  man  whose  daily  work  is,  let  us  say, 
to  take  merely  a  tyi^ical  example,  that  of  turning 
out  the  twentieth  part  of  a  shoe,  a  gown  or  a 
chair  ? 

In  the  vocations  of  modem  industry  the  divorce 
between  joy  and  labor  has  become  too  absolute 
for  them  to  be  reconciled.  Therefore  increasing 
cry  and  protest  for  shorter  hours  of  industrial 
labor.  But  to  what  end?  The  answer  of  the 
foresighted  is — Art — the  recreative  labor  of 
leisure.  For  by  art,  freed  from  industrialism, 
labor  is  again  reconciled  with  joy. 


PAGEANTRY  71 

The  reorganization  of  leisure  thus  becomes 
stupendously  important — the  real  goal  of  all  the 
vast  strivings  of  our  momentous  age,  in  which 
countless  millions  are  battling  desperately,  often 
blindly,  to  emancipate  the  deepest  instinct  of 
humanity — the  need  for  happiness. 

Utterly  divorced  from  art  in  their  industrial 
labor,  it  is  indeed  no  wonder  that  the  people  are 
slow  to  conceive  art  as  their  only  salvation  in 
leisure.  Yet,  tho  they  are  slow  to  conceive 
this  truth  of  themselves,  they  are  very  quick  to 
respond  to  it  when  demonstrated  by  the  leader- 
ship of  artists.  Their  astonishing  response  to  the 
introduction  of  public  music  and  pageantry  dur- 
ing the  last  ten  years  gives  ample  and  auspicious 
promise  for  the  regeneration  of  their  leisure. 

No  issue,  political  or  industrial,  before  the  pub- 
lic today  exceeds  in  immediate  importance,  or 
prophetic  meaning,  the  problem  of  public  recrea- 
tion. New  as  the  voicing  of  this  issue  is  in  the 
nation,  one  may  yet,  with  confidence,  predict  that 
it  will  soon  rank  among  the  foremost  in  the  plat- 
forms of  social  and  political  campaigns — and  be 
recognized  at  the  seat  of  government — for  its 


72  CHOOSING  A  PLAY 

need  is  as  dire  as  the  problems  of  industrialism 
which  cause  it. 

The  use  of  a  nation's  leisure  is  the  test  of  its 
civilization.  Public  amusement  is  a  matter  of 
public  leisure.  No  more  important  consideration 
exists  for  a  busy  people  than  the  matter  of  its 
leisure.  Day  in,  day  out,  and  all  day  long,  the 
typical  American  is  strenuously  engaged  in  hard 
work — in  what  is  technically  called  "acts  of  pro- 
duction." To  what  purpose?  Presumably  for 
happiness.  But  happiness — unless  work  be- 
comes an  end,  instead  of  a  means  to  life — is  a 
matter  of  consumption. 

In  organized  leisure  certain  significant  facts 
are  noted:  First — organized  amusement  recog- 
nizes art,  but  debases  it  for  private  profit.  This 
is  true  of  our  commercial  theaters,  vaudeville 
houses,  moving  picture  shows,  dance  halls,  etc. 
Secondly,  our  leisure  where  organized  for  educa- 
tion or  religion,  ignores  art  entirely,  while  seeking 
to  uplift  the  public  without  it.  This  is  true  of 
our  public  schools,  universities,  churches,  libraries. 
The  notable  exceptions  are  the  playground  asso- 
ciations, institutions  for  public  music,  and  our 


PAGEANTRY  73 

sporadic  festivals  and  pageants.  It  is  these  ex- 
ceptions, though  still  in  great  minority,  that  con- 
stitute the  vital  elements  of  regeneration.  Thus 
merchants  and  speculators  prove  themselves  more 
deeply  discerning  of  human  nature  than  edu- 
cators and  philanthropists.  The  former  at  least 
recognize  the  human  craving  for  art,  even  while 
debasing  it,  and  so  achieve  their  own  ends.  The 
latter  often  fail  to  achieve  their  nobler  ends  by 
ignoring  this  universal  fact. 

Obviously  then,  the  people  prefer  art,  however 
crude,  to  the  lack  of  it,  and  desire  it  to  the  extent 
of  paying  money  for  it  in  preference  to  a  free  but 
artless  public  enterprise.  That  they  shall  come 
to  prefer  fine  art  to  crude  or  depraved  art  may 
only  be  compassed  by  cultivating  them  at  the  very 
core  of  their  public  amusement.  But  such  culti- 
vation on  a  large  scale  has  proved  to  be  incom- 
patible with  private  profit.  Hence  the  need  of 
organization  of  public  leisure  for  public  profit. 
Pageantry  satisfies  an  elemental  instinct  for  art, 
a  popular  demand  for  poetry.  This  instinct  and 
this  demand,  like  other  human  instincts  and  de- 
mands, are  capable  of  being  educated,  refined. 


74  CHOOSING  A  PLAY 

developed  into  a  mighty  agency  of  civilization. 
Art  brings  pleasure  into  life  exactly  in  propor- 
tion as  the  people  are  sharers  in  the  processes  of 
its  creation.  Athletic  games  are  almost  the  only 
recreation  left  in  which  great  numbers  of  people 
actually  join.  In  all  other  cases  professionals 
are  paid  to  furnish  amusement.  At  the  theater, 
in  the  concert  hall,  what  is  seen  or  heard  is  the 
work  of  specialists;  the  majority  know  nothing 
from  actual  experience  of  what  they  see  and  hear,, 
It  is  this  ignorance  which  has  led  a  few  artists  to 
despise  their  public  as  incapable  of  properly  un- 
derstanding art.  It  is  true  that  most  of  the  arts 
demand  knowledge  and  skill  in  technique  long 
and  difficult  to  acquire,  hence  beyond  the  reach  of 
a  busy  industrial  population.  There  are  few  who 
can  obtain  the  leisure  necessary  to  learn  some- 
thing of  the  creative  side  of  painting,  or  sculpture, 
or  even  of  music.  But  fortunately,  this  need  not 
be  true  of  pageantry.  Its  whole  point  lies  in  the 
fact  that  it  is  not  and  cannot  be  the  work  of  a 
single  individual.  It  is  a  cooperative  art  in  which 
there  is  opportunity  for  all  to  share  according  to 
the  measure  of  their  time  and  skill. 


PAGEANTRY  75 

The  opportunity  to  play  has  largely  been  taken 
away  from  us  by  organized  amusements.  We 
have  been  forced  back  into  a  listless,  indifferent 
audience,  instead  of  being  allowed  to  become  a 
part  of  the  merrj^-makers  themselves.  Little  by 
little  we  have  come  to  feel  that  all  merry-making 
must  be  done  for  us,  by  people  hired  to  do  it,  and 
that  all  the  part  we  need  play  in  it  is  to  applaud 
or  to  criticize.  We  have  grown  to  think  that  it 
is  undignified  to  express  joy,  that  it  is  only  fine 
and  elegant  to  observe  it  quietly. 

Americans  as  a  peoj^le  have  allowed  others  too 
long  to  furnish  and  commercialize  their  entertain- 
ment and  their  means  of  social,  religious,  and 
patriotic  expression.  Had  the  people  themselves 
given  voice  to  these  higher  emotions  of  their  lives 
they  would  have  done  much  to  elevate  themselves 
above  the  dull  routine  of  the  life  of  our  material- 
istic age.  To  achieve  this  end  the  pageant  was 
developed.  It  aims  to  tap  the  wealth  and  genius 
of  related  arts  and  to  encourage  non-professional 
men  and  women  to  make  their  individual  contribu- 
tions  to  the  common  store  of  talent,  which  shall 
find  expression  in  the  production  of  a  living 


76  CHOOSING  A  PLAY 

drama  depicting  the  historical  development  of 
their  own  community  or  social  group. 

The  purpose  of  the  pageant  is  primarily  to 
educate,  to  revive  or  maintain  a  memory  of  the 
past.  Historians  have  long  desired  a  means  by 
which  the  great  mass  of  people  may  be  made  to 
pause  now  and  then  to  reflect  upon  the  past  and 
upon  the  lives  of  those  gone  before,  and  who  have 
laid  the  foundation  for  the  prosperity  and  the 
greatness  of  the  present.  The  great  majority 
of  people  read  little  history.  Young  America 
rushes  forward,  rudely  pushing  aside  the  irksome, 
detaining  hand  of  the  past  as  something  of  no 
moment,  while  around  our  gas  ranges  and  steam 
radiators  there  is  but  little  room  to  shelter  our 
Lares  and  Penates.  To  the  world  at  large  the 
picture  of  the  past  will  always  be  dim  unless 
some  way  can  be  found  of  investing  dry  facts 
with  life  and  interest  so  that  the  stage  of  history 
may  be  once  more  reconstructed.  Humanity  has 
ever  been  popularizing  its  history  thru  the 
work  of  the  story  teller,  the  bard,  the  poet,  and 
the  novelist,  but  these  agencies  have  not  been 
sufficient  to  touch  vitally  the  lives  of  all  the  peo- 


PAGEANTRY  77 

pie.  Because  of  this  the  pageant,  the  drama  of 
the  people,  is  being  hailed  as  an  effective  instru- 
ment which  will  assist  materially  in  awakening  a 
new  interest  in  history  and  in  creating  a  new  civic 
interest. 

As  the  term  *'pageant"  is  now  used,  it  means  a 
dramatic  representation  of  several  scenes,  either 
tableaux  or  miniature  integral  dramas  which  are 
unified  by  prologues.  The  real  pageant  is  given 
out  of  doors,  its  spectators  number  thousands, 
genuine  distance  gives  its  beauty  to  the  produc- 
tion, the  stage  is  as  vast  as  the  eye  can  reach, 
and  the  production  aims  to  reproduce  actuality 
rather  than  illusion.  The  giving  of  a  pageant 
is  an  act  of  veneration  or  of  patriotism.  At  pres- 
ent it  is  done  to  honor  town  or  hero  and  becomes 
a  great  civic  rite.  This  function  of  the  modern 
pageant  one  would  never  wish  to  change.  A  play 
is  continuous  action  on  one  theme;  a  pageant  is 
interrupted  action  on  related  themes.  A  play 
has  unities  of  time,  place,  or  action,  while  the 
pageant  dispenses  with  all  of  these.  A  play  must 
be  given  on  an  indoor  or  outdoor  stage,  while  the 
pageant  aims  to  employ  the  entire  landscape,  or 


78  CHOOSING  A  PLAY 

at  least  in  its  approaches  and  backgrounds.  On 
the  whole  we  may  say  that  a  pageant  is  a  hybrid, 
bred  between  the  procession  and  the  play.  The 
play  is  an  indoor  product,  but  the  pageant  should 
be  an  outdoor  performance  in  which  the  place  is 
the  principal  character,  not  the  individual. 

While  the  primary  purpose  of  the  modern 
pageant,  then,  is  to  revive  or  maintain  the  memory 
of  the  past,  it  should  be  further  used  to  arouse  and 
promote  civic  healthfulness  and  pride.  All  of 
this  is  to  be  done  by  the  cooperative  effort  of  the 
entire  community.  Mr.  John  A.  Gundlack, 
chairman  of  the  executive  committee  that  ar- 
ranged the  Pageant  and  Masque  of  St.  Louis  in 
1914,  gave  voice  to  the  civic  value  of  pageantry 
when  he  said,  "Our  one  great  hope  that  has  moved 
us  to  assume  the  responsibihties  and  labor  in- 
volved in  this  great  undertaking  is  that  out  of 
the  beauty  of  art  will  spring  an  aroused  civic 
pride  and  love  of  home  that  will  develop  a  sense 
of  community  obligation  and  mutual  cooperation 
of  such  force  as  will  sweep  into  being  a  new  era  in 
our  municipal  hfe."  It  is  claimed  that  the  public 
spirit  aroused  by  the  St.  Louis  pageant  was  re- 


PAGEANTRY  79 

sponsible  for  the  adopting  by  that  city  of  a  new 
charter  against  which  the  political  powers  of  cor- 
ruption and  graft  had  marshalled  their  strength. 

A  pageant  to  be  a  success  should  be  the  work 
of  the  entire  community.  The  people  of  the  com- 
munity must  want  a  pageant  and  it  should  be 
conceived  and  directed  by  local  talent  instead  of 
professional  showmen,  for  no  group  of  people 
from  the  outside  can  come  in  and  do  the  thing 
successfully.  The  true  pageant  will  socialize  the 
community  and  give  a  a  cohesiveness  to  its  life 
because  it  is  an  entertainment  to  which  all  can 
contribute. 

As  a  moral  agent,  the  pageant  has  a  strong 
value.  To  condense  a  centmy  into  two  and  one- 
half  hours  makes  a  rich  lesson  in  social  and  polit- 
ical progress.  Pageantry  is  the  cleanest  and 
most  wholesome  form  of  drama.  The  commun- 
ity is  given  an  opportunity  for  self-expression. 
The  criticisms  directed  against  the  theater  are 
lacking  against  it.  Ministers,  teachers,  and 
others  who  oppose  the  theater  from  moral  con- 
viction, are  vitally  interested  in  the  cultivation 
and  success  of  the  community  drama. 


80  CHOOSING  A  PLAY 

The  pageant  is  possible  for  a  community  of  any 
size.  The  small  town  furnishes  the  best  soil  for 
its  growth ;  because  in  it  there  are  fewer  distract- 
ing influences.  Unity  of  feehng  and  action  are 
therefore  more  easily  acquired.  Successful  page- 
ants are  given  in  large  cities,  but  nevertheless  it 
is  impossible  to  bring  about  the  personal  responsi- 
bility and  interest  in  the  large  city  as  in  the  village 
or  town. 

No  advertisement  of  a  community  is  more 
legitimate  and  effectual  than  a  splendidly  organ- 
ized pageant.  Artistic  competition  in  pageantry 
between  cities  would  stimulate  industry,  trade  and 
education.  To  this  end,  a  Master  of  Pageants 
should  regularly  be  appointed  to  pubhc  service 
in  each  city.  Such  appointments  would  neces- 
sarily associate  civic  leaders  with  leaders  in  the 
fine  arts,  an  association  which  would  enlarge  the 
horizon  of  both. 

However,  it  is  not  right  to  assume  that  the 
highest  social  value  of  the  pageant  may  be  gained 
from  a  spirit  of  loyal  cooperation.  If  the  pa- 
geant is  lacking  either  in  artistic  or  dramatic 
qualities  it  is  a  failure,  for  the  reason  that  such 


PAGEANTRY  81 

a  pageant  does  not  establish  a  true  standard. 
Weeks  of  preparation  spent  in  doing  something 
that  is  not  a  work  of  art  leaves  behind  them  only 
a  false  standard  to  show  for  effort  expended. 
No  slovenly  or  inartistic  performance  may  be 
excused  on  the  ground  of  the  splendid  spirit 
aroused  thru  the  work,  or  by  the  fact  that  the 
people  have  had  a  chance  to  express  themselves. 
Pageantry  must  set  a  high  standard  of  produc- 
tion. It  may  be  simple,  but  it  must  be  well  done, 
or  it  cheats  not  only  the  audience  but  the  per- 
formers. 

Last  of  all  the  pageant  must  leave  with  the 
people  a  definite  sense  of  something  new  in  their 
lives — some  definite  awakening  and  response  to 
this  new  form  of  art,  that  stimulates  the  com- 
munity or  individual  with  a  desire  for  a  more 
intimate  expression  in  an  art  form.  It  may  be 
the  beautifying  of  the  town,  the  formation  of  a 
local  orchestra,  classes  in  dancing,  or  organiza- 
tions for  serious  dramatic  study.  The  establish- 
ment of  a  permanent  pageant  committee  to  carry 
on  the  spirit  of  the  pageant  from  year  to  year  is 
an  excellent  thing.     The  historical  pageant,  the 


82  CHOOSING  A  PLAY 

celebration  of  Christmas,  Thanksgiving,  or  local 
holidays,  may  offer  the  opportunity  for  the  com- 
munity to  give  to  these  occasions  a  new  and  artis- 
tic form  of  commemoration,  of  such  value  that 
they  may  become  occasions  of  widespread  interest, 
and  even  give  the  town  national  importance. 

(See  Part  II,  Section  XIII,  for  books  and 
articles  on  pageantry.) 


CHAPTER  VI 

NOTES   ON   ACTING 

Since  most  of  the  acting  done  in  the  country 
is  to  be  seen  only  in  New  York,  it  follows  that  to 
study  the  art  first  hand  one  must  sojourn  there 
for  some  time.  Failing  that,  as  the  great  mass 
of  us  have  to,  we  may  be  so  fortunate  as  to  see 
good  acting,  once  in  a  great  while  in  some  other 
large  city,  where  the  syndicate,  the  producer  and 
actor  finally  agree  to  present. 

By  far  the  greater  part  of  this  great  country 
is  left  in  outer  darkness  dramaticallj^  and  neither 
good  nor  bad  acting  is  seen.  Sad  to  relate,  there 
is  not  so  much  wailing  and  gnashing  of  teeth  in 
this  same  darkness  as  would  be  of  some  import, 
because  the  sop  of  the  movies  keeps  us  fed,  at 
least,  pacified.  To  know  much  about  acting  then, 
most  of  us  must  read  about  it. 

Unfortunately,  again,  there  is  n't  much  writ- 
ten about  it  save  in  the  way  of  criticism  of  the 

83 


84  CHOOSING  A  PLAY 

latest  Broadway  production,  which  may  or  may 
not  be  of  value  to  one  who  wishes  to  know  about 
acting.  I  have  gathered  together  from  many 
sources,  various  actors  and  producers  of  repute 
and  standing,  the  following  notes  and  present 
them  here  in  the  hope  that  they  may  serve  to 
give  helpful  illumination  on  some  of  the  problems 
which  humbler  directors  have  to  meet.  Possibly 
they  will  help  to  answer  some  of  the  questions  fre- 
quently asked  by  both  the  amateur  actor  as  well 
as  director. 

David  Belasco 

*'The  five  all-important  factors  of  a  good  actor 
or  actress  are,  abihty,  imagination,  industry, 
patience  and  loyalty." 

"Great  help  may  be  gained  from  rehearsals, 
not  only  by  going  through  your  individual  part, 
but  by  watching  the  training  of  all  the  others." 

"Through  the  eyes  of  a  listener  I  can  form  a 
truer  judgment  of  their  emotional  capacity  and 
imaginative  faculty  than  in  any  other  way." 

"It  is  most  important  that  the  individuality  of 
the  actor,  whatever  be  the  character  he  is  to  inter- 


NOTES  ON  ACTING  85 

pret,  be  preserved;  for  individuality  is  the  essen- 
tial qualification  of  the  great  artist.  So  at  the 
outset  I  suggest  little  to  my  people,  in  order  to 
make  them  suggest  more.  I  appeal  to  their 
imagination,  emotion  and  intelligence,  and  draw 
from  them  all  I  can.  When  I  can  get  no  more 
from  them,  then  I  give  them  all  there  is  in  me.  I 
coax  and  caj  ole,  or  bulldoze  and  torment,  accord- 
ing to  the  actor's  temperament." 

"The  stage  director  cannot  dispassionately  ex- 
plain to  his  people  how  he  wants  them  to  act,  and 
expect  them  to  throw  their  whole  soul  and  being 
into  it.  He  must  first,  himself,  definitely  imagine 
every  scene  in  which  they  appear,  and  then  lead 
them  up  to  it  by  working  upon  their  intelligence, 
imagination,  and  feehngs.  But  it  is  also  true 
that  no  two  can  be  taught  ahke." 

E.  H.  SOTHERN 

"Of  the  qualities  necessary  for  the  actor,  I  do 
not  think  there  is  any  question  but  imagination 
stands  first.  Then  comes  intelligence  to  discover 
what  is  the  thing  to  do;  then  to  exercise  one's 
emotion  to  try  and  define  what  one's  behaviour 


86  CHOOSING  A  PLAY 

would  be  under  those  imagined  circumstances, 
and  then  to  acquire  the  means  wherewith  to  ex- 
press those  emotions — physique,  the  grace  of 
mind  and  body  which  can  be  cultivated.  Get 
control  of  your  means,  especially  the  voice." 

George  Arliss 

"Conserve  the  more  emphatic  movements  for 
the  more  emphatic  situations,  thus  keeping  the 
whole  performance  on  a  natural  plane.  It  is  a 
mistake  to  force  the  voice.  Niceties  of  inflection 
are  not  possible  if  one  constantly  uses  a  heavy 
voice.  Phrasing,  too,  is  very  important,  to  give 
variety  and  emphasis  to  the  thought  of  the  play. 
An  arrested  attitude  tells  of  mental  suspense 
more  graphically  than  words  possibly  can." 

John  W.  Cope 

"To  give  a  good  performance  you  should  be- 
lieve in  your  role,  and  think  the  lines  at  every 
rehearsal.  You  should  eliminate  every  unessen- 
tial movement  of  the  hands  and  head,  and  avoid 
unnatural  incessant  facial  expression,  or  as  the 
actor  calls  it,  'mugging.'  " 


NOTES  ON  ACTING  87 

Granville  Barker 

"The  contributory  things  to  the  art  of  acting 
are  not  only  things  that  should  be  studied  by  us ; 
they  are  things  that  should  be  studied  by  every 
person  in  the  community.  There  is  none  of  the 
grace  of  speech,  of  the  grace  of  gesture,  of  the 
sensitiveness  of  the  general  education  in  expres- 
sion and  understanding;  there  are  none  of  those 
things  which  the  actor  has  to  learn  which  it  would 
not  be  better  for  every  single  member  of  the  com- 
munity to  learn." 

"The  art  of  producing  is  ahiiost  always  the  art 
of  leaving  well  enough  alone." 

Robert  D.  MacLean 

"Acting  is  a  matter  of  sense  rather  than  of 
mechanics.  Mechanics  are  useless  without  some- 
thing to  say.     Talk  sense." 

"Be  direct  in  your  methods  to  avoid  being  dif- 
fuse in  interest.  Directness  means  getting  the 
gist  of  things.  Walk  and  stand  naturally.  You 
must  not  move  about  or  you  will  lose  ground. 
That  seems  almost  a  paradox,  but  it  is  true.     Do 


88  CHOOSING  A  PLAY 

not  forget  that  eyes  play  a  large  part  in  acting.  A 
whole  gamut  of  emotions  may  be  expressed  with 
eyes  that  have  been  trained  to  speak.  Then,  too, 
voice  and  gesture  cannot  be  too  smooth." 

Minnie  Maddern  Fiske 

''Great  acting  is  a  thing  of  the  spirit;  in  its 
best  estate  a  conveyance  of  certain  abstract 
spiritual  qualities,  with  the  person  of  the  actor  as 
the  medium." 

"Consider  your  voice;  first,  last  and  always 
your  voice.  It  is  the  beginning  and  the  end  of 
acting.  Train  that  until  it  responds  to  your 
thought  and  purpose  with  absolute  precision. 
And  next  your  imagination.  After  all,  an  actor 
is  exactly  as  big  as  his  imagination." 

"The  ideal  director  must  possess  the  ability  to 
teach  the  young  to  act.  The  director's  first  task 
is  to  study  the  play  in  its  spiritual  significance. 
The  director  interprets  the  play.  His  first  busi- 
ness is  to  guard  the  interest,  to  preserve  the  in- 
tegrity of  the  play.  Any  director  worth  his  salt 
must  be  fit  and  willing  to  take  off  his  coat  and 
roll  up  his  sleeves." 


NOTES  ON  ACTING  89 

"Does  the  actor  feel  the  grief  he  tries  to  pic- 
ture? It  is  different  with  different  players.  I 
should  say  he  feels  an  intense  sympathy.  The 
intense  suffering  he  may  feel  in  the  earlier  per- 
formances becomes  a  matter  of  memory.  He 
remembers  the  method,  the  symbols,  by  which  at 
first  he  gave  it  expression.  He  remembers  the 
means,  and  relying  on  that  memory,  need  not 
himself  feel  so  keenly." 

"The  essence  of  acting  is  the  conveyance  of 
truth  through  the  medium  of  the  actor's  mind  and 
person.  The  science  of  acting  deals  with  the  per- 
fecting of  this  medium.  The  great  actors  are  the 
luminous  ones.  Be  sure  of  this,  the  essence  of 
acting  is  the  expression  of  the  abstract  thing, 
courage,  fear,  despair,  anguish,  anger,  pit)^  piety. 
The  great  roles  are,  in  that  sense,  abstractions." 

Henry  Miller 

"The  most  important  part  of  the  theater  is  the 
audience.  It 's  the  third  leg  of  the  dramatic 
milking  stool.  The  actor  forms  his  conception  of 
the  part,  he  plays  it  as  it  is  seen  through  his  par- 
ticular  temperament;   but  there   is   always   his 


90  CHOOSING  A  PLAY 

obligation  to  the  audience.  He  can  create  a 
semblance  of  naturalness  in  the  part,  but  not  at 
the  expense  of  being  seen  and  heard.  The  actor's 
conception  of  a  role  is  worth  nothing  until  he  gets 
it  over  to  his  audience.  He  is  absorbed  in  a  part 
but  without  ever  forgetting  the  audience  he  is 
playing  to." 

Joseph  Jefferson 

"Feeling  and  imagination  are  above  every- 
thing, but  the  study  of  gesture  and  elocution,  if 
taken  in  homoeopathic  doses  and  with  great  care, 
may  be  of  service,  but  great  effects  can  be  pro- 
duced only  by  great  feeling,  and  if  the  feeling 
be  true  and  intense  the  gesture  and  elocution 
must  obey  it.  It  is  safer,  however,  to  study 
gesture  and  elocution  than  to  study  nothing. 
Elocution  will  at  least  assist  one  in  articulation 
and  this  important  adjunct  is  too  often  slighted 
on  the  stage." 

Richard  Mansfield 

"You  should  speak  good  English.  Very  few 
people  do.     I  am  touching  here,  I  think,  upon 


NOTES  ON  ACTING  91 

one  of  the  greatest  evils  and  most  formidable 
troubles.  It  is  here  that  careful  teaching  is 
necessary  in  the  pronunciation  of  words  and  the 
use  of  the  voice.  It  seems  to  me  that  anybody 
will  succeed  on  the  stage,  in  the  church,  or  at  the 
bar  with  a  truly  beautiful  voice.  Without  it,  it 
is  hard  to  work  a  charm.  Learn  how  to  use  your 
voice,  not  to  abuse  it;  how  to  preserve  it  and  re- 
serve it;  where  to  place  the  voice;  never  force 
the  voice  or  betray  its  limitations." 

Julia  Marlowe 

"Success  is  intensity.  Idleness  is  emptiness. 
Where  it  is,  there  the  doors  are  thrown  open,  and 
failure  troops  in. 

"The  stage  will  be  found  thoroly  worth  while 
to  that  person  who  is  willing  to  devote  to  it  as 
much  attention  and  toil  as  is  given  by  any  skilled 
craftsman  to  any  particular  trade.  But  a  tech- 
nical knowledge  of  other  arts  is  distinctly  help- 
ful to  the  actor." 


92  CHOOSING  A  PLAY 

Louis  Calvert 

"No  matter  how  much  we  know  about  the  art 
of  acting,  we  must  depend  most  of  all  upon  our 
voice  to  express  it  to  others." 

"Tones  are  most  important,  I  think;  and  tones 
can  be  cultivated,  indeed  they  may  be  said  to  be 
the  result  of  cultivation  in  the  case  of  most  actors ; 
nature  gave  them  the  instrument  on  which  they 
play,  but  she  did  not  teach  them  how  to  play  it." 

"Begin  each  word  properly;  if  we  take  care  of 
the  consonants  the  vowels  will  take  care  of  them- 
selves." 

"Stage  effects  do  not  come  by  chance,  they 
are  the  result  of  studied  effort." 

"Unless  there  is  a  definite  reason  we  should 
never  move  on  another's  speech." 

"After  all,  repose  is  what  we  should  aim  for. 
With  gesturing,  as  with  almost  everything  else, 
the  less  one  does  of  it  the  better.  Too  many 
gestures  are  worse  than  too  few.  We  should 
never  make  a  big  gesture  where  a  little  one  will 
suffice.     Thought    should    always   precede    our 


NOTES  ON  ACTING  93 

gestures,  they  should  always  grow  from  some- 
thing inside." 

George  Henry  Lewis 

"After  the  management  of  the  voice,  actors 
most  err  in  the  management  of  the  body:  they 
mouth  their  sentences,  and  emphasize  their  gest- 
ures, in  the  effort  to  be  effective,  and  in  ignor- 
ance of  the  psychological  conditions  on  which  ef- 
fects depend." 

"Gestures,  to  be  effective,  must  be  significant, 
and  to  be  significant  they  must  be  rare." 

"It  is  because  few  actors  are  sufficiently  re- 
flective that  good  acting  is  so  rare." 

"If  the  actor  really  feel,  he  cannot  act;  but 
he  cannot  act  unless  he  feels." 

"What  is  called  inspiration  is  the  mere  hap- 
hazard of  carelessness  or  incompetence." 

"Actors  learn  their  parts  as  singers  learn  their 
songs.  Every  detail  is  deUberative,  or  has  been 
deliberated." 


CHAPTER   VII 

DETAILS   OF   COACHING 

The  general  details  and  discussion  of  the  busi- 
ness-like organization,  which  makes  for  success 
in  any  dramatic  undertaking,  large  or  small,  are 
admirably  set  forth  in  Mr.  Taylor's  book,  and 
should  be  carefully  considered  by  the  amateur 
coach.  In  brief — be  clear,  concise,  firm,  and 
business-like  in  all  the  conduct  and  arrangements 
of  any  production. 

I.  Casting  the  play.  As  to  casting  the  play, 
the  tryout  system  would  seem  to  offer  opportun- 
ity for  the  best  decisions,  all  parties  considered. 
It  depends  again  on  the  individual  situation. 
Often  tryouts  would  be  unnecessary  and  a  waste 
of  time,  the  coach  being  entirely  able  to  make 
wise  and  just  choice.  If  tryouts  are  used,  the 
parts  need  not  be  memorized,  and  the  reading 
should  be  done  in  the  lines  of  the  play  which  is  to 

94 


DETAILS  OF  COACHING         95 

be  produced.  If  the  coach  has  some  training  in 
such  matters,  and  is  acquainted  with  the  group, 
decisions  should  be  left  entirely  in  his  or  her 
hands.  The  coach  should  be  thoroly  familiar 
with  the  play  and  be  able  to  choose  parts  clearly 
and  quickly. 

II.  Rehearsing.  (Consult  Clark,  chapters 
one,  two  and  three,  and  Taylor,  chapter  four.) 
Usually  in  the  average  High  School,  it  will  not 
be  deemed  wise  to  put  more  than  the  minimum  of 
time  on  a  production,  and  so  careful  rehearsal  ar- 
rangements should  be  made.  Appropriate  place 
and  time  should  be  chosen,  and  rehearsals  fitted 
to  suit  the  requirements  of  the  regular  school 
schedule.  Prompt  attendance  on  all  rehearsals 
can  then  be  demanded  and  obtained.  Six  to 
eight  weeks  should  be  sufficient  for  producing  in 
any  circumstance,  and  in  many  cases  less  time 
should  be  sufficient.  Five  weeks  should  suffice 
in  a  majority  of  instances.  Work  of  a  concen- 
trated sort  for  a  shorter  period  is  more  desirable 
than  fewer  rehearsals  spread  over  a  longer  time. 
At  least,  this  seems  to  be  the  opinion  of  a  great 
many  principals  who  have  the  adjustment  of  the 


96  CHOOSING  A  PLAY 

entire  school  schedule  in  mind.  If  possible  each 
member  of  the  cast  should  have  a  complete  copy 
of  the  play.  In  manuscript  form  this  is  impossi- 
ble, and  so  at  the  first  and  second  rehearsals  the 
cast  should  be  made  famihar  with  the  play  as  a 
whole.  The  coach  should  always  be  clear  in  his 
own  mind  as  to  all  points  concerning  the  produc- 
tion, from  the  choosing  of  the  cast  to  the  fall  of 
the  final  curtain.  Decision  and  clarity  of  pur- 
pose are  of  prime  importance  in  coaching.  I 
find  much  better  results  by  working  one  act  at  a 
time  until  it  is  in  fairly  good  condition,  then  tak- 
ing another,  and  so  on,  then  returning  to  polish, 
point  up  and  connect.  Parts  need  not  be  letter 
perfect  at  the  first  rehearsal,  but  at  a  very  early 
time  thereafter  the  cast  should  be  made  to  do 
without  their  lines  in  the  act  upon  which  they  are 
working.  They  incline  to  hold  to  the  printed 
lines  much  longer  than  is  necessary,  and  should 
learn  how  soon  they  may  trust  their  memories 
to  serve  them.  I  find  rehearsals  of  two  hours 
not  too  long.  Try  to  avoid  having  them  all  in 
the  evening.  Eight  hours  or  more  a  week  should 
be  allowed,  full  cast  rehearsals,  on  a  four  or  five 


DETAILS  OF  COACHING         97 

week  production.  Few  acts  will  run  over  thirty- 
five  minutes  at  most,  when  they  are  in  working 
shape,  and  an  act  of  that  length  is  likely  to  be 
the  longest  in  the  play.  I  refer  more  particu- 
larly to  modern  plays. 

Avoid  remaining  at  work  on  the  first  act  too 
long,  space  the  time  to  be  put  on  each  act  and 
adhere  to  the  original  plan.  Frequently,  one 
act  of  the  three  or  four  will  be  longer,  possibly 
more  difficult;  often  it  will  take  longer  on  the 
first  act  simply  because  it  is  the  first  and  the 
actors  and  coach  have  to  get  into  the  swing  of 
the  thing.  Make  allowances  for  these  things  in 
the  rehearsal  plans  from  the  first  and  then  go 
right  along.  One  unaccustomed  to  the  business 
is  likely  to  spend  too  much  time  on  details,  or  on 
one  act  that  seems  not  to  be  quite  right,  and  then 
suddenly  realizes  that  the  time  is  growing  short. 

Difficult  situations  in  the  acts  may  be  given 
special  rehearsals,  but,  as  a  principle,  avoid  the 
special  rehearsal,  enough  time  has  been  planned 
for  and  as  little  more  as  possible  should  be  used. 

Students  who  have  been  wisely  chosen  for  the 
part  in  the  cast  usually  will  sense  their  lines  quite 


98  CHOOSING  A  PLAY 

clearly.  Let  them  all  work  along  for  a  time  be- 
fore making  many  suggestions,  and  you  will  be 
saved  from  making  many.  Of  course  if  a  part  is 
being  wrongly  interpreted  you  will  not  allow  it  to 
go  on  for  any  time  at  all,  but  don't  heep  suggest- 
ing on  the  lines,  etc.,  for,  as  I  have  said,  much  will 
arrange  itself  if  given  time.  When  you  are 
ready,  clear  up  as  many  points  as  possible  at  once. 
Be  clear  about  the  stage  business,  entrances  and 
exits,  crosses,  and  other  action  almost  from  the 
first,  and  you  will  be  surprised  to  find,  that,  given 
a  clear  knowledge  of  where  they  are  to  go  and 
when,  the  cast  as  a  whole  falls  into  the  swing  of 
the  lines  and  situations  with  a  degree  of  ease  and 
spontaneity  greatly  to  be  desired. 

III.  Stage  business  and  directions.  Most  plays 
contain  fairly  good  directions,  some  are  excellent 
in  this  regard.  A  coach  who  is  really  competent 
should  be  able  to  judge  these  directions  at  their 
true  worth,  appreciating  why  such  crosses  and 
movements  are  valuable — or  the  reverse.  There 
are  many,  however,  called  upon  to  put  on  a  play, 
who  do  not  even  know  the  meaning  of  the  stage 
terminology,  nor  up  stage  from  down  stage.     It 


DETAILS  OF  COACHING         99 

is  certainly  their  misfortune  not  to  have  had  some 
opportunity  to  prepare  themselves,  in  some  de- 
gree, in  this  line  of  work.  The  two  books  to 
which  I  have  referred  will  help  such  ones  a  great 
deal.  A  course  in  dramatic  production  in  a  col- 
lege or  university  would  help  infinitely  more, — 
were  such  courses  given.  It  may  be  necessary 
to  change  much  of  the  business  and  directions, 
even  lines,  as  the  stage  settings  available  may  not 
conform  to  the  play's  original  requirements. 
"Enter  R.  1"  may  have  to  be  "Enter  L.  1,"  in 
which  case,  much  of  the  business  of  the  entire 
act  may  have  to  be  reversed.  It  is  entii'ely 
possible  to  rearrange  the  business,  only  care  must 
be  taken  to  keep  group  values,  crosses,  positions, 
and  all  stage  business  in  the  same  relations  as 
was  intended  in  the  original  arrangement.  At 
each  rehearsal  set  your  stage  with  clear  indica- 
tion of  exits  and  entrances,  and  such  pieces  of 
furniture  as  are  to  be  "practical."  Insistence 
should  be  made  in  this  detail.  Work  out  the 
crosses  and  other  business  with  care,  but  do  not 
dwell  too  long  on  minor  details.  JNIany  of  these 
will  take  care  of  themselves  before  the  act  is  fin- 


100  CHOOSING  A  PLAY 

ished.  Smooth  up  positions,  etc.,  when  the  act 
has  begun  to  move  as  a  whole  and  the  cast  can 
feel  its  swing.  "Business"  should  be  referred  to 
in  terms  of  the  stage  even  with  the  most  ama- 
teurish group,  hence  the  need  again  that  the  coach 
should  know  the  terminology.  Those  who  are 
to  perform  parts  in  any  play  should  learn  some 
of  the  fundamentals  of  good  stage  business ;  such 
as  management  of  exits  and  entrances;  group- 
ings; standing;  sitting;  point  lines;  balance;  ad- 
vanced foot,  etc.,  etc.  Chapter  five  in  Mr.  Tay- 
lor's book  should  be  carefully  perused  by  any  un- 
trained coach,  as  it  contains  matter  on  the  above 
topics  which  will  be  helpful. 

IV.  Staging,  scenery  and  lighting.  It  is  here, 
perhaps,  more  than  anywhere  else,  that  knowl- 
edge of  a  definite  sort  is  needed.  So  much  is  pos- 
sible now  under  all  the  above  headings,  that  only 
knowledge  gained  from  reading,  practise  or  train- 
ing, or  from  all  together,  will  be  of  real  assistance. 
A  helpful  bibliography  on  these  subjects  is  now 
available,  a  large,  detailed,  and  valuable  body 
of  literature,  such  as  has  never  before  existed. 
Its  existence  is  due  largely  to  the  new  movement 


DETAILS  OF  COACHING       101 

and  its  ideas  now  being  demonstrated  in  many 
theaters  throughout  the  United  States.  Direc- 
tors of  dramatics,  in  whatever  form,  should 
acquaint  themselves  with  as  much  of  this  liter- 
ature as  possible.  For  the  coach  in  the  smallest 
schools,  the  two  books  already  named,  together 
with  "Costumes  and  Scenery  for  Amateurs,"  by 
Constance  D.  Mackay,  Henry  Holt  and  Co.,  pub- 
lishers, will  serve  admirabl)^  These  books  con- 
tain excellent  cuts  as  well  as  good  subject  matter. 
A  bibliography  largely  complete  will  be  found  in 
this  book,  and  it  is  hoped  that  it  may  be  of  service 
to  many  who  have  not  hitherto  become  acquainted 
with  this  literature.  The  old  order  is  changing 
and  "suggestion"  is  the  new  word.  There  are 
gi'eater  possibilities  than  ever  before  for  smaller 
schools  to  produce,  under  the  newer  ideas  of  treat- 
ment. 

In  too  many  instances,  school  and  college  audi- 
toriums and  stages  are  still  ])eing  constructed, 
apparently  with  little  or  no  consideration  for  the 
important  place  dramatics  should  hold  in  the  cur- 
riculum. As  for  seven  out  of  every  ten  of  the 
already  existent  auditoriums  and  stages,  they  are 


102  CHOOSING  A  PLAY 

at  once  prohibitive  of  any  successful  achievement. 
Stages  are  too  high,  they  are  out  of  proportion 
to  the  rest  of  the  room,  audiences  are  seated  so  far 
to  the  left  and  right  of  the  stage  opening,  that 
only  about  half  of  any  gathering  ever  sees  the 
stage  at  all.  Room  behind  the  proscenium  open- 
ing to  the  right  and  left  of  the  stage  is  vitally 
essential  for  any  good  use,  while  depth  is  of  para- 
mount importance.  It  is  almost  too  much  to 
hope  for  space  above  the  stage  but  even  this 
should  be  insisted  upon,  and  if  a  hard  wood  floor 
can  be  avoided,  by  all  means  let  it.  It  is  con- 
ceivable that  scenery  in  some  form  will  need  to  be 
attached  to  the  floor  now  and  again,  a  difficult 
matter  on  a  resounding,  slippery,  hard  wood  floor- 
ing. If  it  be  argued,  as  it  will,  that  the  stage  has 
to  be  used  for  the  commencement  speaker,  and 
who  knows  what  other  speakers,  and  any  floor 
other  than  of  hard  wood  will  look  unfit,  remember 
there  are  such  possibilities  of  covering  as  a  rug, 
useful  many  times  too,  and  the  fact  remains,  you 
cannot  attach  to  a  hard  wood  floor.  The  stage 
is  often  extended  in  a  semi-circular  fashion  into 
the  auditorium  in  front  of  the  line  of  the  pros- 


DETAILS  OF  COACHING        103 

cenium  arch,  why,  it  is  hard  to  state,  for  it  is  a 
dead  waste  of  much  needed  space.  Plead  to  have 
that  precious  space  put  at  the  rear  of  the  stage 
for  depth  and  use.  I  have  said,  "suggestion  is 
the  new  law,"  but  without  depth  for  perspective 
the  task  of  creating  suggestive  details  is  difficult. 
Avoid  the  use  of  the  old  painted  sets,  or  if  used, 
repaint  them  making  them  simpler,  less  ornate 
and  vivid  in  color,  using  neutral  colors  both  for 
interiors  and  exteriors.  If  there  is  an  art  depart- 
ment let  it  experiment.  Use  all  j^our  means  at 
hand  in  every  department  in  everj^  possible  way 
and  added  interest  for  the  activity  will  result  as 
well  as  better  results  in  staging.  Stud)^  the  use 
of  curtains  for  settings,  canton  flannel  preferably, 
in  greys  or  tans.  If  real  advance  is  to  be  made 
the  horrible  painted  atrocities  of  the  average  stage 
equipment  must  be  subdued, — replaced. 

Few  schools,  even  in  large  towns,  have  a  proper 
lighting  system  for  stage  use.  Indeed,  if  the 
stage  as  a  place  for  dramatic  presentations  has 
been  crippled  by  its  structural  impossibihties,  it 
has  been  actually  maimed  by  its  lighting  facihties. 
Lack  of  knowledge  in  this  matter  should  no 


104  CHOOSING  A  PLAY 

longer  be  an  excuse  for  those  who  are  building,  for 
there  has  been  much  written  on  the  subject  in  the 
past  ten  years.     School-board,  inform  thyself. 

In  brief,  lighting  should  also  be  suggestive,  soft 
not  glaring,  concealing  as  well  as  revealing. 
Foot-hghts  are  glaring,  soften  them;  if  no  dim- 
ming process  is  installed  color  the  globes  a  pale 
amber  and  it  will  help  somewhat.  Study  what 
lighting  is  for,  think  what  light  in  reality  does; 
use  thought  in  the  whole  matter.  Call  a  council, 
some  student  will  be  interested  and  capable  of 
assisting  with  the  electrical  problems,  some  paid 
electrician  may  be.  Find  out  about  reflected 
light.  Many  homes  have  the  latter,  why  not  try 
it  for  your  stage.  "Foots"  and  "borders,"  the 
old  stock  in  trade,  are  also  out  of  date  and  the 
new  word  in  lighting  is  suggestion.  More  ad- 
vance in  stage  production  has  recently  been  made 
in  the  department  of  lighting  than  in  all  the  other 
departments  put  together, — find  out  about  it. 

No  school  should  be  without  at  least  two  maga- 
zines which  help  to  keep  one  in  touch  with  the  best 
things  of  the  theater.  "Theater  Arts"  magazine, 
7  E.  42nd.  St.,  New  York,  and  "The  Drama," 


DETAILS  OF  COACHING       105 

59  E.  Van  Buren  St.,  Chicago,  111.  The  April, 
1920,  number  of  the  former  will  prove  of  great 
help  if  only  for  the  one  article,  "Stage  Machinery 
and  Lighting  Equipment." 

V.  Mahe-up  and  costume.  Excellent  sugges- 
tions on  the  matter  of  make-up  will  be  found  in 
chapter  six  of  Mr.  Taylor's  book,  and  in  Appen- 
dix I,  of  Mr.  Clark's  book.  Costume  is  dealt 
with  by  the  latter  author  in  chapter  nine,  and 
Miss  Mackay's  book  on  this  subject  already  re- 
ferred to  will  give  valuable  assistance.  In  all 
costume  plays  care  should  be  taken  to  make  the 
costuming  as  authentic  as  possible. 

As  for  making-up,  nothing  but  practice  under 
direction  will  give  one  real  expertness,  but  cer- 
tainly it  is  one  of  the  elements  which  is  horribly 
handled.  It  is  capable  of  much  improvement  if 
one  will  give  it  a  little  study  and  some  practise, 
and  the  average  results  in  amateur  productions 
would  thus  be  greatly  bettered.  The  best  prac- 
tical book  on  the  subject,  a  really  good  one,  is 
"Making  Up,"  by  James  Young,  published  by  M. 
Witmark  and  Sons,  144  W.  37th  St.,  New  York 
City,  $1.25.     I  would  add  this  book  to  the  list  of 


106  CHOOSING  A  PLAY 

three  already  mentioned,  and  call  the  four  an 
absolute  necessity  for  the  untrained  coach  of 
amateur  dramatics.  Other  books  dealing  with 
make-up  are,  a  small  pamphlet  published  by 
Charles  Meyer,  26  and  28  Union  Square,  New 
York;  "The  Art  of  Theatrical  Make  Up,"  by 
Morton,  a  foreign  publication  obtainable  at 
Brentano's,  New  York,  I  think,  and  costing  $2.00. 
The  latter  is  a  rather  pretentious  affair  and  not 
very  helpful  for  an  amateur.  It  contains  excel- 
lent cuts  for  study.  "How  to  Make  Up"  Fitz- 
gerald, obtained  from  Samuel  French,  New 
York,  for  fifty  cents,  is  another  inexpensive  af- 
fair, but  it  is  my  opinion  that  the  first  named 
book  is  by  far  the  best  of  all  these  for  all  ordinary 
purposes.  The  M.  Stein  Cosmetic  Co.,  New 
York,  furnishes  the  best  full  line  of  make-up 
material  obtainable  at  present,  since  foreign-made 
materials  are  not  available.  Leichner's  make-up 
is  the  best  when  available.  Charles  Meyer,  whose 
address  Ts  given  above,  also  carries  a  full  line  of 
materials. 

Dramatics  and  dramatic  production  in  all  its 
elements  and  aspects,  must  receive  more  and  wiser 


DETAILS  OF  COACHING        107 

consideration.  This  consideration  must  come 
from  educators  in  executive  positions  in  our 
higher  institutions,  first  and  from  teachers,  par- 
ents, "coaches,"  dramatic  directors,  and  from  all 
those  who  are  interested  enough  to  wish  to  take 
part  in  any  production.  Only  thus,  can  the  con- 
ditions which  confront  us  in  this  country,  in  our 
theatrical  bill  of  fare,  ever  be  bettered.  In  all 
the  "new  movement"  there  is  need  for  an  audience 
capable  of  appreciating  some  of  the  attempts 
which  are  being  made  to  better  this  situation. 
How  is  this  audience  to  be  trained,  in  any  degree, 
if  educational  institutions  continue  their  present 
attitude  of  indifference  toward  the  matter  of  dra- 
matic production? 


CHAPTER  VIII 

MATERIAL   FOR   PRODUCTION 

No  one  can  do  more  than  offer  the  most  general 
suggestions  u^jon  the  choice  of  a  play,  as  every 
selection  brings  its  own  individual  problems  and 
complications.  I  suggest  that  one  should  consult 
chapter  one  of  "How  To  Produce  Amateur 
Plays,"  by  Barret  H.  Clark,  Little,  Brown  and 
Co.,  Boston,  publishers,  and  chapter  two  of 
"Practical  Stage  Directing  For  Amateurs,"  by 
Emerson  Taylor,  E.  P.  Dutton  and  Co.,  New 
York,  publishers.  These  references  give  advice 
which  is  invaluable. 

Mr.  Clark  says  on  page  five  of  chapter  one,  that 
it  is  much  more  meritorious  to  produce  a  good 
play  poorly,  if  need  be,  than  a  poor  play  well. 
With  this  statement  I  would  certainly  take  issue. 
I  should  say  it  depends.  My  experience  for  a 
good  many  years  leads  me  to  think  that  the  state- 

108 


MATERIAL  FOR  PRODUCTION     109 

merit  will  bear  discussion.  Theoretically  it  may 
be  true,  but  there  are  so  many  elements  which 
enter  into  the  case,  that  such  a  statement  should 
not  be  made  without  qualification  and  considera- 
tion. Such  consideration,  I  leave  to  those  into 
whose  hands  this  book  may  fall. 

Good  articles  on  the  choice  of  a  play  will  be 
found  in  the  "Quarterly  Journal  of  Speech  Edu- 
cation" for  October,  1915,  and  April,  1916.  The 
"Journal"  is  pubhshed  by  the  George  Banta  Pub- 
lishing Co.,  Menasha,  Wis.  Single  copies  are 
sixty  cents.  Other  good  articles  appeared  in  the 
"English  Journal"  for  December,  1917,  and  Feb- 
ruary, 1918.  The  "Journal"  is  published  by  the 
University  of  Chicago  Press,  and  single  copies 
cost  thirty  cents.  Also  in  "The  Drama,"  Febru- 
ary, 1920,  published  by  The  Drama  League  of 
America,  59  E.  Van  Buren  St.,  Chicago. 

After  what  has  been  said  it  would  seem  need- 
less to  further  urge,  that,  though  the  clioice  of 
play  is  sure  to  be  a  difficult  matter,  the  person  to 
whom  this  task  falls  should  use  his  or  lier  best 
effort  to  make  that  choice  measure  up  to  the  very 
highest  standard  of  which  the  circumstances  will 


110  CHOOSING  A  PLAY 

permit.  The  raising  of  the  standard  of  dramatic 
production,  from  an  educational  standpoint,  as 
well  as  the  betterment  of  taste  in  this  direction, 
are  worthy  ends  for  any  teacher  to  work  toward. 

A  few  of  the  more  obvious  considerations  which 
should  enter  into  the  choosing  of  a  play  are  here 
given. 

I.  Who  is  producing.  Age,  training  and  abil- 
ity of  the  group. 

II.  Nature  of  tJie  audience.  General;  selected; 
young  or  old ;  cultured  or  otherwise. 

III.  Ends  desired.  Dramatic  training;  liter- 
ary; entertainment  (pleasure  only)  ;  money  (for 
the  class  treasury  to  pay  a  debt,  for  a  benefit, 
etc.) .  Too  often  the  sure  and  easy  way  to  make 
money  is  the  play.  It  is  not  difficult  to  see  how 
taste  in  selection  will  be  affected  when  so  definite 
a  monetary  situation  is  involved.  This  situation 
begins  with  the  smallest  High  School  production, 
and  ends  with  the  Broadway  enterprises.  This 
and  the  utterly  impossible  producing  facilities, 
are  among  the  chief  elements  hindering  the  better- 
ment of  dramatics. 

IV.  Producing  considerations.  Place  of  pro- 


MATERIAL  FOR  PRODUCTION     111 

duction;  its  size,  size  and  equipment  of  stage,  as 
to  lighting,  scenery,  etc. 

Some  of  the  elements  which  might  be  consid- 
ered as  constituting  a  good  play  are  listed  as 
follows.  (Again  let  it  be  borne  in  mind  that  I 
have  in  view  largely,  in  all  my  suggestions,  the 
groups  of  untrained  amateurs  who  will  work  for 
the  most  part  under  more  or  less  untrained  direc- 
tion. There  are  many  clubs  in  the  larger  schools 
and  colleges,  which  have  been  under  excellent 
training  and  direction,  and  which  are  capable  of 
a  very  high  type  of  amateur  work.  As  I  have 
before  remarked,  it  is  to  these  groups  and  their 
directors,  it  seems  to  me,  that  most  articles  and 
books  on  these  subjects  are  addressed.) 

I.  The  situations  should  be  free  from  unduly 
emotional  conditions.  Such  situations  when  in- 
troduced should  be  within  the  comprehension,  if 
not  the  experience,  of  the  young  people  who  are 
to  enact  the  parts. 

II.  Royalty.  A  large  royalty  cannot  usually 
be  paid.  Unfortunately  play  brokers  who 
handle  by  far  the  largest  amount,  and  the  best 
of  the  available  material,  seem  not  at  all  inter- 


112  CHOOSING  A  PLAY 

ested  to  assist  amateurs  by  allowing  them  a  special 
price.  Twenty-five  dollars  is  about  the  best  that 
may  be  hoped  for  on  plays  in  manuscript  form, 
the  only  form  of  material  handled  by  the  brokers. 
This  at  once  debars  from  use  many  desirable  as 
well  as  possible  things,  the  presentation  of  which 
could  in  no  way  injure  the  rentals  or  productions 
of  the  play  by  road  or  stock  companies. 

I  have  been  asked  to  be  more  explicit  in  this 
matter  of  royalty,  but  there  is  little  further  to  be 
said.  The  conditions  met  are  most  baffling. 
Often,  in  my  own  experience  I  have  found  two 
firms  offering  the  same  play  on  their  lists,  one 
allowing  me  the  use  of  the  play  for  $25.  where 
the  other  called  for  $40.  for  the  same  use.  Also, 
there  are  printed  plays  which  state  on  the  open- 
ing pages  a  royalty  of  $10.  the  same  play  listed 
on  the  broker's  lists  at  $25.  These  prices  are 
for  one  performance  always.  I  cannot  explain 
these  discrepancies  nor  have  I  found  any  one  who 
can.  I  could  cite  many  more  similar  instances 
and  the  situation  is  well  known  to  all  who  have 
had  much  to  do  with  amateur  producing.  Lists 
should  always  be  compared  and  the  printed  copy 


MATERIAL  FOR  PRODUCTION     113 

used  whenever  available.  If  it  is  possible  to 
address  the  author,  do  so.  A  payment  for  the 
use  of  an  author's  work  is  only  just  and  fair,  but 
one  would  like  to  feel  that  there  is  a  definite  ar- 
rangement by  which  the  author  gets  the  same 
amount  from  all  the  various  collections  of  the 
firms  offering  his  play  for  use. 

I  have  also  been  asked  to  indicate  which  plays 
are  available  in  manuscript  only.  This  I  cannot 
well  do,  as  new  plays  are  constantly  being  added 
to  the  printed  lists  from  the  manuscript  list  and 
any  statement  I  might  make  would  be  true  only 
for  a  short  time  at  most.  So  far  as  possible  I 
have  given  the  publisher  handhng  the  play  in 
printed  form  whenever  it  is  so  available.  Bar- 
rie's  plays,  for  instance,  which  have  so  long  been 
available  only  in  manuscript  form,  have  now  ap- 
peared in  book  form,  and  so  with  others.  Any 
one  who  has  the  choosing  of  a  play  to  do,  must 
expect  to  expend  some  time  in  the  matter,  and 
part  of  it  should  be  in  scanning  several  lists  care- 
fully to  see  if  it  appears  on  more  than  one,  and 
then  wi'iting  to  see  what  arrangements  can  be 
made  with  the  various  firms. 


114  CHOOSING  A  PLAY 

III.  The  play  must  have  dramatic  movement, 
or,  be  actable,  not  too  "talky."  Amateurs  as  a 
whole  get  very  good  results  in  plays  with  con- 
siderable characterization.  The  play  should  be 
as  well  worth  while  as  possible  in  action,  charac- 
terization and  theme. 

IV.  All  questionable  situations  should  be 
avoided.  Study  all  that  enters  into  the  situation 
before  you  decide  it  is  questionable.  So  much  of 
the  present-day  drama  has  to  do  with  sex  situa- 
tions, or  the  eternal  triangle,  many  plays  have  to 
be  discarded  at  once.  Principals  and  town's 
people  often  raise  questions  which  seem  (and  are) 
unnecessary  to  the  much  harassed  coach,  who  is 
led  to  wish  that  these  people  would  do  not  only 
the  choosing  of  the  play,  but  also  the  entire  coach- 
ing. The  questions  arising  concerning  morals  of 
a  play  will  be  affected  by  the  producing  environ- 
ment of  each  individual  hamlet,  and  must  be 
solved  by  the  parties  concerned.  Too  much  at- 
tention is  often  paid  to  "what  the  public  will 
like"  to  the  detriment  of  the  choice  of  a  play 
and  this  should  not  be  tolerated.  The  whole 
standard  of  choice  will  be  forever  lowered  if  this 


MATERIAL  FOR  PRODUCTION     115 

policy  is  to  be  followed.  A  trained  person  in 
charge  of  dramatics,  well  enough  trained  to  be 
engaged  like  any  other  responsible  instructor, 
should  be  the  one  who  will  best  know  what  to 
produce. 

V.  An  author  of  ability  and  some  literary 
value  is  desirable. 

VI.  If  historic  plays,  or  plays  of  a  period  are 
given,  as  much  accuracy  as  possible  in  settings 
and  costume  should  be  observed.  On  the  whole 
this  type  of  play  requires  a  coach  who  knows 
what  he  is  about,  to  achieve  very  admirable  re- 
sults. 

VII.  A  balatice  in  the  acting  values  should 
be  considered.  Frequently,  of  course,  students 
of  marked  ability  appear  and  a  plaj^  with  a  lead- 
ing part  is  desirable.  As  a  principle,  a  balance 
in  the  parts  is  better.  It  is  true  again,  that  the 
proportion  of  plays  is  built  about  a  leading  char- 
acter, so  it  is  not  easy  to  avoid  this  situation. 
However,  students  should  be  given  as  even  a 
chance  as  possible. 


PART  TWO 

directory: 


SECTION  I 

ADDRESSES  OF  PLAY  PUBLISHERS  AND  BROKERS 

As  I  stated  in  the  preface,  it  has  not  been  my 
purpose  to  do  more  than  touch  briefly  upon  the 
preceding  details.  To  the  trained  director,  the 
lists  and  bibliography  which  follow  will  be  largely 
familiar.  But  let  it  be  sadly  remembered  that  a 
director,  or  "coach,"  with  training,  real  prepara- 
tion to  do  work  in  dramatics,  is  the  great  excep- 
tion. To  many,  then,  the  following  lists  will  be 
of  assistance.  The  calls  received  every  year  in 
my  department  alone  warrant  this  assertion.  Is 
it  too  much  to  hope  that  some  who  have  not  been 
heretofore  sufficiently  impressed  with  the  impor- 
tance of  the  administering  of  dramatics  in  an 
educational  manner,  may  be  interested  to  read  at 
least  a  portion  of  the  literature  available?  May 
we  not  hope  further,  that  any  one  who  may  have 

119 


120  CHOOSING  A  PLAY 

"coaching"  to  do  will  find  it  practical  to  avail 
himself  of  as  many  of  the  reference  books  as 
possible? 

Directors  and  coaches  should  also  avail  them- 
selves of  all  possible  material  in  the  way  of  cata- 
logues and  lists  sent  free,  or  at  small  cost.  They 
furnish  a  great  deal  of  valuable  assistance.  Most 
of  the  following  companies  will  send  their  com- 
plete catalogues  for  the  asking.  The  Drama 
League,  Boston,  charges  twenty-five  cents,  and 
has  a  list  well  worth  it.  Sanger  and  Jordan  and 
the  American  Play  Co.  have  very  fine  catalogues 
listing  plays  with  casts  complete.  There  is  a 
small  charge  for  these  catalogues,  one  dollar  or 
so,  but  they  are  of  the  greatest  assistance. 

Dramatic  Publishing  Co.,  542  S.  Dearborn  St.,  Chicago,  111. 

Samuel  French  &  Co.,  28  W.  38th  St.,  New  York  City. 

Eldridge  Entertainment  House,  Franklin,  Ohio,  and  Den- 
ver, Colo. 

Dick  &  Fitzgerald,  10  Ann  St.,  New  York  City. 

Walter  H.  Baker  Pub.  Co.,  5  Hamilton  Place,  Boston,  Mass. 

Penn  Publishing  Co.,  923  Arch  St.,  Philadelphia,  Pa. 

Boston  Drama  League,  101  Tremont  St.,  Room  705,  Boston, 
Mass.,  R.  J.  Davis,  Secretary. 

Drama  League  of  America,  737  Marquette  Bldg.,  Chicago, 
111. 


PUBLISHERS  AND  BROKERS     121 

From  the  following  firms  plays  are  obtainable 
in  manuscript  form  only,  largely  plays  calling  for 
a  royalty  of  at  least  $25.,  often  $40.  and  $50. : 

Alice  Kauser,  1432  Broadway,  New  York  City. 

Sanger  and  Jordan^  Times  Bldg.,  17th  Floor^  New  York 
City. 

Rumsey  Play  Co.,  152  W.  46tli  St.,  New  York  City. 

American  Play  Co.,  451  Broadway,  New  York  City. 

Shubert  Theater  Co.,  1416  Broadway,  New  York  City. 

Agency  for  Unpublished  Plays,  41  Concord  Ave.,  Cam- 
bridge, Mass.      (Small  royalties.) 

Publishers  carrying  a  special  line  of  plays  in 
bound  form: 

Brentano,  Fifth  Ave.  &  27th  St..  New  York  City. 
The  Sunwise  Turn,  51  E.  44th  St.,  New  York  City. 
Washington  Sq.  Book  Shop,  17  W.  8th  St.,  New  York  City. 
John  W.  Luce  &  Co.,  212  Summer  St.,  Boston,  Mass. 
Lawrence  Gomme,  2  E.  29th  St.,  New  York  City. 
Drama  League,  7  E.  42nd  St.,  New  York  City. 
Mitchell  Kennerly,  32  W.  58th  St.,  New  York  City. 
Little,  Brown  &  Co.,  Boston,  Mass. 

Miscellaneous.  In  every  large  city  there  will 
be  found  a  good  costuming  house.  Suggestions 
upon  these  will  meet  only  a  limited  number,  as  I 
am  not  acquainted  with  the  many  sections  of  the 
country.     A  few  addresses  are  given  below: 


122  CHOOSING  A  PLAY 

Fritz  Sclioutz  &  Co.,  58  W.  Lake  St.,  Chicago,  111.   (and 

Detroit). 
Chicago  Costume  Co.,  143  N.  Dearborn  St.,  Chicago,  111. 
Carnival  Costume  Co.,  Milwaukee,  Wis. 
M.  J.  Clark  Costume  Co.,  St.  Louis,  Mo. 
Van  Horn  Costume  Co.,  10  S.  10th  St.,  Philadelphia,  Pa. 
Geo.  Beck  Costume  Co.,  Cincinnati,  O. 
Winona  Costume  Co.,  Minneapolis,  Minn,  (and  Winona). 

The  following  firms  furnish  scenery  and  similar 
firms  in  many  of  the  larger  cities  will  be  able  to 
furnish  settings : 

R.  MacDonald,  Scenic  Studio,  Bush  Temple  Theater,  800 
N.  Clark  St.,  Chicago,  111. 

Guthman  Scenic  Studios,  1324-  Loomis  Place,  Chicago,  111. 

Peltz  &  Carson  Scenic  Studios,  1507  N.  Clark  St.,  Chicago, 
111. 

Stage  &  Studio  Lighting  Apparatus,  Universal  Stage  Light- 
ing Co.,  240  W.  50th  St.,  New  York  City. 


SECTION  II 

LIST   OF    PLAYS 
ARRANGED    IN    FOUR    GRADES 

The  following  lists,  it  will  be  understood,  are 
in  no  sense  complete.  They  serve  to  give  a  body 
of  material,  arranged  in  four  grades,  tliat  may 
save  many  hours  of  search  for  a  play.  The  most 
difficult  plays  are  listed  in  grade  one.  Nearly  all 
the  plays  in  this  group  carry  a  royalty  of  $25.00, 
$40.00,  or  $50.00.  In  few  cases  could  they  be 
obtained  for  less  than  the  first  named  sum,  though 
the  author  knows  some  instances  where  smaller 
royalty  has  been  accepted.  For  the  reason  of 
royalty,  therefore,  these  plays  are  put  in  grade 
one  as  being  difficult  of  obtaining.  They  are 
also,  for  the  most  part,  more  difficult  in  theme, 
characterization  and  settings.  They  are  suitable 
for  the  better  trained  clubs  w^liich  will  produce 
under  trained  direction.     Detailed  descriptions 

123 


124  CHOOSING  A  PLAY 

of  these,  and  all  plays  mentioned,  will  be  found 
in  the  catalogues  of  the  various  publishers  or 
brokers,  already  given.  The  abbreviations  which 
have  been  used  are  explained  below: 

A.  P.  Co American  Play  Co. 

S.  &  J Sanger   and    Jordan. 

Dr.  P.  Co Dramatic    Publishing    Co. 

E.  E.  Hs Eldridge  Entertainment  House. 

Bk Walter  H.   Baker  and  Co. 

Fr Samuel  French  and  Co. 

D.  &  F Dick   and   Fitzgerald. 

Sh Shubert  Co. 

P.    P Penn  Pub.  Co. 

The  order  of  arrangement  has  been,  title, 
author,  number  of  acts,  number  of  interior  and 
exterior  sets,  publisher,  number  of  male  and  fe- 
male characters. 

Grade  I 

Admirable  Crichton,  The,  Barrie,  4  a.,  3  in.,  1  ex.,  S.  &  J., 

6  m.,  6  w. 
All  of  a  Sudden  Peggy,  Denny,  3  a.,  2  in.,  Fr.  5  m.,  5  w. 
Amazons,  The,  Pinero,  3  a.,  1  in.,  1  ex.,  Bk.,  7  m.,  5  w. 
American  Citizen,  An,  Ryley,  4  a.,  3  .,  1  ex.,  Fr.,  9  m.,  5  w. 
Arms  and  the  Man,  Shaw,  3  a.,   2  in.,  1  ex.,  A.  P.  Co.,  4  m., 

3  w. 
As  the  Leaves,  Giacosa,  3  a.,  3  in.,  A.  P.  Co.,  5  m.,  6  w. 
Alice-Sit-By-the-Fire.  Barrie,  3  a.,  2  in.,  3  m.,  6  w. 
Androcles  and  the  Lion,  Shaw,  3  a.  (short)  1  in.,  2  ex.,  Bren- 

tano,  10  m.,  5  w. 


LIST  OF  PLAYS  125 

Bachelor's  Romance,  A,  Morton,  4  a.,  3  in.,  Fr.,  5  m.,  4  w. 
Beau  Brummel,  Fitch,  4  a,,  3  in.,  1  ex.,  Fr.,  11  m.,  7  w. 
Big  Idea,  The,  Thomas,  3  a.,  2  in.,  S.  &  J.,  7  m.,  4  w. 
Barbara  Freitchie.  Fitch,  3  a.,  2  in.,  1  ex.,  Fr.,  13  m.,  6  w. 
Believe  Me  Xantippe,  Ballard,  4  a,,  2  in.,  8  m.,  2  w. 
Be  Calm  Camilla,  Kummer,  2  a.,  4  sc,  3  in.,  A.  P.  Co.,  6  m., 

3  w. 

Bernice,  Glaspell,  3  a.   (short)   1  in.,  2  m.,  3  w.,  Theater 

Arts  Mag.,  Oct.  '19. 
Candida,  Shaw,  3  a.,  1  in.,  Brentano,  4  m.,  2  w. 
Case  of  Rebellious  Susan,  The,  Jones,  3  a.,  3  in.,  Fr.,  10  m., 

4  w. 

Caught  in  the  Rain,  Collier,  3  a.,  2  in.,  1  ex.,  S.  &  J.,  12  m., 

11  w. 

Climbers,  The,  Fitch,  4  a.,  3  in.,  Fr.,  12  m.,  U  w. 

College  Widow,  The,  Ade,  4  a.,  1  in.,  3  ex.,  S.  &  J.,  15  m., 

10  w. 
Cassilis  Engagement,  The,  Hankin,  4  a.,  3  in.,  1  ex.,  Fr.,  7 

m.,  7  w. 
Captain  Kidd  Jr.,  Young,  3  a.,  1  in.,  2  ex.,  A.  P.  Co.,  7  m., 

3  w. 
Cheating  Cheaters,  Marcin,  4  a.,  3  in.,  S.  &  J..  9  m.,  4  w. 
Disraeli,  Parker,  4  a.,  4  in.,  S.  &  J.,  13  m.,  6  w. 
Deirdre  of  The  Sorrows,  Synge,  3  a.,  1  in.,  1  ex.,  Luce, 

8  m.,  3  w. 
Fanny's  First  Play,  Shaw,  3  a.,  2  in.,  Brentano,  5  m.,  3  w. 
First  Lady  of  the  Land,  Nirdlinger,  4  a.,  3  in.,  Bk.,  11 

m.,  8  w. 
Flower  Shop,  The,  Wentworth,  3  a.,  1  in..  Badger,  5  m.,  5  w. 
Gypsy  Trail,  The,  Housum,  3  a.,  2  in.,  1  ex.,  A.  P.  Co.,  5 

m.,  4  w. 
Genius,  The,  DeMille,  3  a.,  3  in.,  S.  &  J.,  7  m.,  5  w. 
Girl  With  the  Green  Eyes,  The,  Fitch,  4  a.,  3  in.,  Fr.,  6  m., 

12  w. 


126  CHOOSING  A  PLAY 

Going  Some,  Armstrong,  4  a.,  1  in.,  1  ex.,  S.  &  J.,  12  m., 

4  w. 
Green  Stockings,  Mason,  3  a.,  2  in.,  Fr.,  7  m,,  5  w. 
Harlequinade,  The,  Barker,  4  a.,  2  in.,  2  ex.,  Brentano, 

11  m,,  2  w. 
Her  Husband's  Wife,  Thomas,  3  a.,  1  in.,  Fr.,  3  m.,  3  w. 
Her  Own  Way,  Fitch,  4  a.,  3  in.,  Fr.,  6  m.,  6  w. 
Honeymoon,  The,  Bennett,  3  a.,  2  in.,  1  ex.,  Doran  Co., 

6  m.,  2  w. 

Hypocrites,  The,  Jones,  4  a.,  3  in.,  A.  P.  Co.,  8  m.,  6w. 
Importance  of  Being  Earnest,  The,  Wilde,  3  a.,  2  in.,  1  ex., 

Fr.,  5  m.,  4  w. 
Inconstant  George,  DeFleurs,  3  a.,  3  in.,  S.  &  J.,  7  m., 

7  w. 

It  Pays  to  Advertise,  Megrue,  3  a.,  2  in.,  A.  P.  Co.,  6  m., 

4  w. 

Jack  Straw,  Maugham,  3  a.,  2  in.,  Dr.  P.  Co.,  8  m.,  5  w. 
Janice  Meredith,  Ford,  4  a.,  3  in.,  1  ex.,  A.  P.  Co.,  12  m., 

5  w. 

Just  Out  of  College,  Ade,  3  a.,  5  in.,  S.  &  J.,  14  m.,  12  w. 
Jesters,  The,  Zamacois,  4  a.,  2  in.,  2  ex.,  Brentano,  12  m., 

2  w. 
Kindling,  Kenyon,  3  a.,  1  in.,  A.  P.  Co.,  6  m.,  6  w. 
Lady  From  Oklahoma,  The,  Jordan,  3  a.,  3  in.,  A.  P.  Co., 

6  m.,  10  w. 

Lady  Windermere's  Fan,  Wilde,  4  a.,  3  in.,  A,  P.  Co.,  7  m., 

9  w. 
Liars,  The,  Jones,  4  a.,  3  in.,  1  ex.,  A.  P.  Co.,  6  m.,  6  w. 
Little  Minister,  The,  Barrie,  4   a.,  2   in.,  2   ex.,  S.   &  J., 

11  m.,  5  w. 
Little  Women,  DeForrest,  4  a.,  1  in.,  1  ex.,  S.  &  J.,  4  m., 

6  w. 
Little  Grey  Lady,  The,  Pollock,  4  a.,  2  in.,  2  ex.,  Fr.,  6  m., 

5  w. 


LIST  OF  PLAYS  127 

Lottery  Man,  The,  E.  J.  Young,  S  a.,  3  in.,  S.  &  J.,  1  m., 

5  w. 

Little  Journey,  A,  Crotliers,  3  a.,  1  in.,  1  ex.,  S.  &  J.,  9  m., 

6  w. 

Marriage  of  Kitty,  The,  Lenox,  3  a.,  2  in.,  Fr.,  3  m.,  3  w. 
Magda,  Suderman,  4  a.,  1  in.,  Fr.,  4  m.,  7  w. 
Magistrate,  The,  Pinero,  3  a.,  3  in.,  Bk.,  12  m.,  4  w. 
Man  From  Home,  The,  Tarkington,  4  a.,  2  in.,  1  ex.,  S.  & 

J.,  11  m.,  3  w. 
Man's  World,  A,  Crothers,  4  a.,  2  in..  Badger,  7  m.,  1  w. 
Manoeuvres  of  Jane,  Tlie,  Jones,  4  a.,  4  in.,  Fr.,  9  m.,  11  w. 
Mary  Jane's  Pa,  Ellis,  3  a.,  2  in,,  1  ex.,  S.  &  J.,  13  m.,  4  w. 
Mater,  Mackaye,  3  a.,  2  in.,  Macmillan,  3  m.,  2  w. 
Merely  Mary  Ann,  Zangwill,  4  a.,  3  in.,  S.  &  J.,  7  m., 

10  w. 
Mice  and  Men,  Ryley,  4  a.,  3  in.,  1  ex.,  Fr.,  7  m..  ;>  w. 
Mrs.  Dot,  Maugham,  3  a.,  2  in.,  S.  &  J.,  7  m.,  5  w. 
My  Lady's  Dress,  Knoblauch,  3  a.,  2  in.,  1  ex.,  Doubleday, 

Page,  9  m.,  12  w. 
My  Wife,  Morton,  4  a.,  1  in.,  1  ex.,  S.  &  J.,  12  ra.,  C  w. 
Mob,  The,  Galsworthy,  4  a.,  2  in.,  1  ex.,  Brentano,  15  m., 

6  w, 
Nathan  Hale,  Fitch,  4  a.,  2  in.,  2  ex.,  Bk.,  la  m.,  4  w. 
New  Lady  Bantock,  The,  or  Fanny  and  the  Servant  Prob- 
lem, Jerome,  3  a.,  1  in.,  Fr.,  5  m.,  6  w. 
New  York  Idea,  The,  Mitchell,  4  a.,  3  in.,  Bk.,  9  m.,  5  w. 
Night  Out,  A.  Robson,  3  a.,  1  in.,  1  ex.,  S.  &  G.,  6  ra.,  5  w. 
Only  Way,  The  Willis,  4  a.,  2  in.,  2  ex.,  A.  P.  Co.,  22  m., 

4  w. 
Passing  of  the  Third  Floor  Back,  The,  Jerome,  3  a.,  1  in., 

Fr.,  6  m.,  6  w. 
Piper,  The,  Peabody,  4  a.,  2  in.,  2  ex.,  Houghton  Mifflin, 

13  m.,  6  w.,  5  children. 
Pair  of  Sixes,  A,  Peple,  3  a.,  2  in.,  Fr..  8  m.,  4  w. 


128  CHOOSING  A  PLAY 

Pomander  Walk,  Parker,  4  a.,  2  in.,  1  ex.,  S.  &  J.,  10  m., 

7  w. 
Pretty  Sister  of  Jose,  The,  Burnett,  4  a.,  4  ex.,  A.  P.  Co., 

10  m.,  5  w. 
Professor's   Love   Story,   The,  Barrie,   3   a,,  2   in.,   1   ex., 

S.  &  J.,  7  m.,  5  w. 
Prunella,  Hausman,  3  a.,  1  ex.,  Dr.  P.  Co.,  11  m.,  7  w. 
Peg  O'  My  Heart,  Manners,  3  a.,  1  in.,  Fr.,  5  m.,  4  w. 
Pigeon,  The,  Galsworthy,  3  a.,  1  in.,  8  m.,  2  w.,  Scribner. 
Quality  Street,  Barrie,  4  a.,  3  in.,  S.  &  J.,  9  m.,  10  w. 
Road  To  Yesterday,  The,  Dix,  4  a.,  3  in.,  1  ex.,  S.  &  J., 

7  m.,  6  w. 
Rose  of  the  Rancho,  The,  Belasco,  4  a.,  2  in.,  1  ex.,  S.  &  J., 

6  m.,  4  w. 
Rosemary,  Parker,  4  a.,  1  in.,  1  ex.,  S.  &  J.,  6  m.,  4  w. 
Return  of  the  Prodigal,  The,  Hankin,  3  a.,  2  in.,  1   ex., 

Fr.,  7  m.,  5  w. 
Scarecrow,  The,  Mackaye,  4  a.,  2  in.,  S.  &  J.,  9  m.,  6  w. 
Schoolmistress,  The,  Pinero,  3  a.,  3  in.,  Bk.,  9  m.,  7  w. 
Servant  In  The  House,  The,  Kenedy,  5  a.,  1  in.,  S.  &  J., 

5  m.,  2  w. 
Shoemaker's  Holiday,  The,  Dekker,  Scribner,  17  m.,  4  w. 
Smith,  Maugham,  4  a.,  2  in..  Dr.  P.  Co.,  4  m.,  4  w. 
Strongheart,  DeMille,  4  a.,  3  in.,  Fr.,  17  m.,  5  w. 
Stubbornness  of  Geraldine,  The,  Jones,  4  a.,  3  in.,  1  ex., 

Fr.,  10  m.,  12  w. 
Sweet  Nell  of  Old  Drury,  Kester,  4  a.,  4  in.,  S.  &  J., 

14  m.,  4  w. 
Successful  Calamity,  A,  Kummer,  2  a.,  4  sc,  2  in.,  A.  P. 

Co.,  8  m.,  4  w. 
Talker,  The,  Fairfax,  3  a.,  1  in.,  S,  &  J.,  4  m.,  5  w. 
Thompson,  Hankin,  3  a.,  1  in.,  Fr.,  5  m.,  5  w. 
Thousand  Years  Ago,  A,  MacKaye,  4  a.,  5  in.,  1  ex.,  x^r., 

9  m.,  2  w. 


LIST  OF  PLAYS  129 

Tom  Pinch,  Dickens,  3  or  5  a.,  4  in.,  1  ex.,  Bk.,  15  m., 

6  w. 
Trelawney  of  The  Wells,  Pinero,  4  a.,  3  in..  Dr.  P.  Co., 

14  m.,  9  w. 
Two  Mr.  Wetherbys,  The,  Hankin,  3  a.,  1  in.,  Fr.,  3  m., 

4  w. 
Tyranny  of  Tears,  The,  Chambers,  3  a.,  1  in.,  1  ex.,  Bk., 

4  m.,  3  w. 
We  Are  Seven,  Gates,  3  a.,  3  in.,  A.  P.  Co.,  15  m.,  4  w. 
When  Bunty  Pulls  The  Strings,  MofFet,  3  a.,  1  in.,  1  ex., 

S.  &  J.,  5  m.,  5  w. 
Whitewashing  Julia,  Jones,  3  a.,  2  in.,  1   ex.,  A.  P.  Co., 

6  m.,  10  w. 

What  Every  Woman  Knows,  Barrie,  4  a.,  3  in.,  1  ex.,  A. 

P.  Co.,  10  m.,  3  w. 
You  Never  Can  Tell,  Shaw,  4  a.,  3  in.,  1  ex.,  Brentano, 

7  m.,  5  w. 

Yoimger  Generation,  The,  Houghton,  3  a.,  1  in.,  Fr.,  7  m., 
4  w. 

Geade  II 

At  Cosy  Corners,  Short,  4  a.,  2  in.,  1  ex.,  A.  P.  Co.,  5  m., 

4  w. 

At  Yale,  Davis,  3  a.,  1  in.,  3  ex.,  Fr.,  16  m.,  4  w. 

All  The  Comforts  Of  Home,  Gilette,  4  a.,  1  in.,  D.  &  F.,  6 

or  10  m.,  4  or  7  w. 
Anne  Of  Old  Salem,  Batchelder,  3  a.,  2  in..  Dr.  P.  Co., 

5  m.,  8  w. 

Bar  Haven,  May,  3  a.,  2  in.,  1  ex.,  Bk.,  6  m.,  5  w. 
Beaucaire,  Freeman,  3  a.,  3  in.,  1  ex.,  Bk.,  14  m.,  7  w. 
Brown  Of  Harvard,  Young,  4  a.,  2  in.,  1  ex.,  Fr.,  20  m., 

4  w. 
Charley's  Aunt,  Thomas,  3  a.,  2  in.,  1  ex.,  Fr.,  6  m.,  4  w. 


130  CHOOSING  A  PLAY 

Chinese  Lantern,  The,  Hausman,  2  a.,  1  in.,  Dr.  P.  Co., 

9  m.,  2  w. 
College  Politician,  A,  Weis,  3  a.,  Bk.,  16  m.,  5  w. 
Contrary  Mary,  Ellis,  3  a.,  2  in.,  Fr.,  7  tn.,  5  w. 
County  Chairman,  The,  Ade,  4  a.,  4  in.,  S.  &  J.,  16  m.,  5  w. 
Cousin  Kate,  Davies,  3  a.,  2  in.,  Bk.,  3  m.,  4  w. 
District  Attorney,  The,  Wilkens,  3  a.,  2  in.,  Bk.,  10  m.,  6  w. 
Esmeralda,  Burnett,  3  a.,  Fr.,  6  m.,  5  w. 
Facing  The  Music,  Darnley,  3  a.,  1  in.,  Fr.,  5  m.,  4  w. 
Her  Own  Money,  Swan,  3  a.,  1  in.,  2  ex.,  Fr.,  3  m.,  4  w. 
Hurry,  Hurry,  Hurry,  Arnold,  3  a.,  1  in.,  Fr.,  5  m.,  4  w. 
In  Good  Old  Colony  Times,  Sayward,  3  a.,  2  in.,  Fr.,  9  m., 

4  w. 
In  The  Vanguard,  Trask,  3  a.,  1  in.,  2  ex.,  Macmillan,  6  or 

12  m.,  5  or  10  w. 
Ingomar,  Lovell,  5  a..  Dr.  P.  Co.,  14  m.,  5  w.  (Greek) 
Let 's  Get  Married,  Beach,  3  a.,  1  in.,  Bk.,  3  m.,  5  w. 
Little  Miss  Cummin,  Pryce,  3  a.,  1  in.,  Fr.,  4  m,,  6  w. 
My  Friend  From  India,  Souchet,  3  a.,  2  in.,  Fr.,  7  m.,  5  w. 
Mrs.  Gorringe's  Necklace,  Davies,  4  a.,  1  in.,  Bk.,  6  m., 

4  w. 
Mrs.  Temple's  Telegram,  Wyatt,  3  a.,  1  in.,  Fr.,  5  m.,  4  w. 
Miss  Somebody  Else,  Short,  4  a.,  1  in.,  Fr.,  4  m.,  10  w. 
Man  Who  Married  A  Dumb  Wife,  The,  France,  2  a.,  1  in.. 

Luce,  13  m.,  4  w. 
Nest  Egg,  The,  Caldwell,  3  a.,  3  in.,  S.  &  J.,  5  m.,  5  w. 
New  Boy,  The,  Law,  3  a.,  1  in.,  Fr.,  4  m.,  3  w. 
Other  Fellow,  The,  Home.  3  a.,  2  in.,  Bk.,  6  m.,  4  w. 
Our  Wives,  Krafft,  3  a.,  2  in.,  S.  &  J.,  7  m.,  4  w. 
Pair  of  Spectacles,  A,  Grundy,  3  a.,  1  in.,  P'r.,  8  m.,  3  w. 
Pioneers,  The,  Oppenheim,  3  a.,  1  ex.,  Huebsch,  5  m.,  5  w. 
Private  Secretary,  The,  Hawtrey,  3  a.,  2  in.,  Fr.,  9  m.,  4  w. 
Quest  For  Happiness,  The,  Davis,  3  a.,  Fr.,  12  m.,  17  w. 

(Morality) 


LIST  OF  PLAYS  131 

Rivals,  The,  Sheridan,  5  a.,  2  in.,  2  ex.,  Dr.  P.  Co.,  8  m., 

4  w. 
Romancers,  The,  Rostand,  3  a.,  Bk.,  5  m.,  1  w. 
Rose  O'  Plymouth  Town,  A,  Dix  &  Sutherland,  3  a.,  2  in., 

Dr.,  P.  Co.,  4  m.,  4  w. 
Russian  Honeymoon,  A,  Harrison,  3  a.,  2  in..  Dr.  P.  Co., 

4  m.,  3  w. 
School  For  Scandal,  The,  Sheridan,  5  a.,  Bk.,  12  m.,  4  w. 
She  Stoops  To  Conquer,  Goldsmith,  5  a.,  Fr.,  17  m.,  4  w. 
Superior  Miss  Pellander,  The,  Bowkett,  3  a.,  1  in.,  1  ex., 
Fr.,  2  m.,  4  w. 

Sweet  Lavender,  Pinero,  3  a.,  1  in.,  Bk.,  7  m.,  4  w. 
We  Three,  Crothers,  4  a.,  1  in.,  1  ex.,  S.  &  J.,  7  m.,  3  w. 
What  Happened  To  Jones,  Broadhurst,  3  a.,   1    in.,  Fr., 

7  m.,  6  w. 
Why  Smith  Left  Home,  Broadhurst,  3  a.,  3  in.,  Fr.,  5  m., 

7  w. 

Worsted  Man,  The,  Bangs  (Partly  Musical),  1  m.,  12  w., 
or  all  women. 

Grade  III 

Aaron  Boggs  Freshman,  Hare,  3  a.,  1  in.,  1  ex.,  Dennison, 

8  m.,  8  w. 

Arrival  Of  Kitty,  The,  Swartout,  3  a.,   1   in.,  Bk.,  5   m., 

4  w. 

Bachelor  Hall,  Baker,  3  a..  1  in.,  Bk.,  8  m.,  4  w. 

Bess  Goes  To  Piurope,  Woodman,  3  a.,  4  in.,  E.  E.  Hs., 

5  m.,  6  w. 

Between  The  Acts,  Griffiths,  3  a.,  1  in..  Shoemaker,  4  m., 

3  w. 
Colonel's  Maid,  The,  Dalrymple,  3  a.,  2  in.,  Bk.,  6  m.,  3  w. 
Commencement  Days,  Mayo,  3  a.,  2  in.,  1  ex.,  Fr.,  6  m., 

9  w. 


132  CHOOSING  A  PLAY 

Comrades,  Baker,  S  a.,  1  in.,  Bk.,  4  m.,  3  w. 

Cricket  On  The  Hearth,  The,  Smith,  3  a.,  3  in.,  E.  E.  Hs., 

6  m.,  7  w. 
Cupid  At  Vassar,  Davis,  4  a.,  2  in.,  1  ex.,  Fr.,  4  m.,  9  w. 
Daddy,  Smith,  3  a.,  2  in.,  Bk.,  4  m.,  4  w. 
Elopement  Of  Ellen,  The,  Warren,  3  a.,  1  in.,  1  ex.,  Bk., 

4  m.,  3  w. 
End  Of  The  Rainbow,  The,  Barbee,  3  a.,  3  in.,  Dennison, 

6  m.,  14  w. 

Engaged  By  Wednesday,  Owen,  3  a.,  1  ex.,  Bk.,  5  m.,  11  w. 

Fifteenth  Of  January,  The,  Barbee,  3  a.,  1  in.,  1  ex.,  Den- 
nison, 11  m.,  10  w. 

Galliger,  Woodman,  3  a.,  4  in.,  E.  E.  Hs.,  4  m.,  8  w. 

Highby  Of  Harvard,  Townsend,  3  a.,  2  in.,  1  ex.,  Bk.,  5 
m.,  4  w. 

His  Excellency  The  Governor,  Marshall,  3  a.,  1  in.,  Bk., 
10  m.,  3  w. 

Katy  Did,  Bridgham,  2  a.,  Bk.,  4  m.,  8  w. 

Love  And  Tea,  See,  2  a.,  1  in.,  Bk.,  2  m.,  6  w. 

Mishaps  Of  Minerva,  The,  Porter,  2  a.,  1  in.,  Bk.,  5  m., 
8  w. 

Miss  Hobbs,  Jerome,  4  a.,  2  in.,  Fr.,  5  m.,  4  w. 

Miss  Molly,  Gale,  2  a.,  1  in.,  Fr.,  3  m.,  5  w. 

Mr.  Bob,  Baker,  2  a.,  1  in.,  Bk.,  3  m.,  4  w. 

Mrs.  Compton's  Manager,  Osgood,  3  a.,  2  in.,  Bk.,  4  m., 

7  w. 

One  Of  The  Eight,  Swartout,  4  a.,  2  in.,  Bk.,  10  m.,  4  w. 
Professor,   The,  Wloodman,  3  a.,  Flanagan  &  Co.,  5  m., 

8  w. 

Revenge  Of  Shari  Hot  Su,  The,  Batchelder,  3  a.,  1  in.,  1 

ex.,  Bk,,  3  m.,  4  w. 
Scrap  Of  Paper,  A,  Simpson,  3  a.,  Bk.,  6  m.,  6  w. 
Sentimental  Sarahs,  The,  Hale,  3  a.,  1  in.,  Bk.,  5  m.,  5  w. 
Strenuous  Life,  A,  Tully,  3  a.,  Bk.,  9  m..  5  w. 


LIST  OF  PLAYS  133 

Sweet  Girl  Graduates,  The,  Woodman,  3  a.,  E.   E.   Hs., 

7  m.,  4  w. 
Sleeping  Beauty,  The,  Du  Bois,  3  a.,  2  in.,  4  m.,  6  w.,  Fr. 
Team  Work,  Gallupe,  3  a.,  1  in.,  1  ex.,  Bk.,  10  m.,  5  w. 
Tommy's  Wife,  Warren,  3  a.,  2  in.,  E.  E.  Hs.,  3  m.,  5  w. 
Two  Strings  To  Her  Bow,  Harrison,  2  a.,  1  in.,  1  ex.,  Dr. 

P.  Co.,  4  m.,  2  w. 
Varsity  Coach,  The,  3  a.,  1  in.,  1  ex.,  Fr.,  6  m.,  6  w. 

Grade  IV 

All  A  Mistake,  Parker,  3  a.,  1  in.,  1  ex.,  E.  E.  Hs.,  4  m., 

4  w. 
Billy's  Bungalow,Crane,  3  a.,   1    in.,  Dick  &  Fitz,   5   m., 

4  w. 
Blundering  Billy,  Wills,  3  a.,  1  in..  Dr.  P.  Co.,  4  m.,  3  w. 
Box  Of  Monkeys,  A,  Furniss,  2  a.,   1  in..  Dr.  P.  Co.,  2 

m.,  3  w. 
Brother  Josiah,  Parker,  3  a.,  1  in.,  1  ex.,  Flanagan,  7  m., 

4  w. 
Cheerful  Liar,  A,  Eraser,  3  a.,  3  in..  Dr.  P.  Co.,  5  m.,  3  w. 
Clover  Farm,  Patten,  3  a.,  Bk.,  8  m.,  3  w.  (Easy). 
College  Chums,  Wills,  3  a.,  1  in.,  Flanagan,  9  m.,  3  w. 
Dream  That  Came  True,  The,  Barbee,  3  a.,  3  in.,  E.  E. 

Hs.,  6  m.,  13  w. 
Every  Graduate,  Blum,  3  a.,  2  in.,  Fr.,  10  m.,  8  w. 
Freshman,  The,  Morris,  3  a.,  1  in.,  2  ex..  Shoemaker,  7  m., 

4  w. 
Great  Catastrophe,   The,   Locke,  2   a.,    1    in..   Shoemaker, 

4  m.,  3  w. 
Half  Back  Sandy,  Swartout,  3  a.,  1  in.,  2  ex.,  Bk.,  17  m., 

2  w. 
Hicks  At  College,  Dyar,  3  a.,  3  in..  Dr.  P.  Co.,  12  m.,  9  w. 
His  Model  Wife,  Bagg,  1  a.,  1  in.,  Shoemaker,  3  m.,  7  w. 

^'       yROPEllTY  Dl 

DEPAni^iE^jT  OF  umm  A?J 


134  CHOOSING  A  PLAY 

His  Word  Of  Honor,  Gott,  3  a.,  2  in.,  1  ex.,  Bk.,  10  m.,  5  w. 
Home  Ties,  Tubbs,  4  a.,  1  in..  Shoemaker,  4  m.,  5  w. 
Just  P'or  Fun,  Crane,  3  a.,  1  in.,  D.  &  F.,  2  m.,  4  w. 
Merchant  Of  Venice  Up  To  Date,  The,  4  a.,  1  in.,  3  ex., 

E.  E.  Hs.,  9  m.,  7  w. 
Mrs.  Mainwaring's  Management,  Froome,  2  a.,  1  in.,  Fr., 

3  m.,  4  w. 
Mrs.  Bagg's  Bargain  Day,  2  a.,  2  in.,  4  m.,  9  w. 
Perplexing  Situation,   A,   Smith,   2   a.,    1    in..  Shoemaker, 

5  m.,  5  \v. 
Phylis's  Inlieritance.  Bernard,  5  a.,  3  in.,  1   ex.,  D.  &  F., 

6  m.,  9  w. 
Toastmaster,  The,  Swartout,  3  a.,  3  in..  Dr.  P.   Co.,   12 

m.,  9  w. 
Tommy's  Wife,  Warren,  4  a.,  1  in.,  Bk.,  4  m.,  5  w. 
Uncle,  The,  Byron,  3  a.,  1  in.,  P.  P.  Co.,  4  m.,  4  w. 
Village  Xawyer,  The,  Tubbs,  4  a.,  2  in..  Shoemaker,  6  m., 

5  w. 
What  Became  Of  Parker,  Hageman,  4  a.,  2  in.,  Dr.  P.  Co., 

8  m.,  4  w. 


SECTION  III 

CHRISTMAS   PLAYS 

Adam's  Dream,  Corbin.  Alice  Scribner,  N.  Y. 

Birds'  Christmas  Carol,  The,  Wiggin,  Macmillan  &  Co. 

Bethlehem,  Hausman,  Macmillan  &  Co. 

Christmas  Candles,  Carter,  Holt,  N.  Y.      (A  book  of  plays 

for  Children) 
Christmas  Chime,  A,  Cameron,  Fr. 

Christmas  Party,  A,  Merrington.      (See  Festival  Plays) 
Christmas  Once  Again,  Chapman.      (See  Neptune's  Isle) 
Christmas  Guest.  A,  MacKaye.     (See  House  of  the  Heart) 
Christmas  Tale,  A,  Boucher,  Fr. 
Christmas  Chimes,  Hagar.      (Adapted  and  dramatized  from 

a  story  by  an  unknown  author.     "Popular  Educator," 

Dec.  1!)11.) 
Dispensation,  The  Greene.     (See  Four  Plays) 
Eager  Heart,  Buckton,  Chappell  &  Co.,  N.  Y. 
Evergreen  Tree,  The,  MacKaye,  Appleton,  N.  Y. 
Good  King  Wencelas,  Rice,  K.  M.,  Worthington,  Mass. 
Greatest  Gift,  The,  Wells,  "Ladies  Home  Journal,"  Dec. 

1913, 
Jean  Noel,  Gowe,  Werner,  N.  Y. 

Lost  Princess,  The,  Gutpill,,  March  &  Co.,  Lebanon,  O. 
Lost   Prince,   The,   King   Ithuriel,   Hermits,   Christmas  in 

Leipsic,  Chapman,  Moffat  Yard,  N.  Y. 
Little  Town  of  Bethlehem,  The,  Trask. 
Masque  of  Christmas,  A,  MacKaye,  Holt,  N.  Y. 

135 


136  CHOOSING  A  PLAY 

Nativity,  The,  Hyde.     (In  Poets  and  Dreamers,  by  Lady 

Gregory.) 
On  Christmas  Eve,  MacKaye.     (See  House  of  the  Heart) 
Star  of  Bethlehem,  The  Green.     (See  Four  Plays) 
Shadowed  Star,  The,  Macmillan,     (See  Short  Plays) 
Tree  Everlasting,  The,  Porter,  Journal  of  Education,  Bos- 
ton, Nov.,  Dec.  1913. 
Through  Christmas  Bells,  Greene.     (See  Four  Plays) 
Why  The  Chimes  Rang,  McFadden,  Fr. 
White   Christmas,   The,   Hare.     Book  containing  6   Xmas 

plays,  published  by  T.  S.  Dennison  Co.,  Chicago,  111. 

Plays  are  for  both  children  and  adults. 
Contents : 

The  White  Christmas. 

Anita's  Secret. 

Christmas  With  the  Mulligans. 

The  Wishing  Man. 

A  Christmas  Carol.     (Arranged  from  Dickens'  Christ- 
mas Carol) 

Her  Christmas  Hat. 


SECTION  IV 

PLAYS   REQUIRING   ONLY   WOMEN   OR  WITH   ALL 
CHARACTERS   POSSIBLE   TOR   WOMEN 

The  following  plays  are  in  one-act  form  unless 
otherwise  stated.  Those  marked  with  a  star  are 
of  a  better  type.  There  is  so  much  demand  for 
plays  of  this  sort  and  so  little  good  material,  it 
is  hoped  that  the  following  hst  chosen  from  a  large 
number  may  prove  of  assistance : 

At  The  Sign  of  the  Silver  Spoon,  Finch,  4  ch.,  Smart  Set. 

At  Breezy  Point,  Locke,  13  ch.,  3  a.,  Bk. 

An  Outsider.  14  ch.,  Bk. 

An  Open  Secret,  10  ch.,  2  a.,  Bk. 

Burglar,  The,  Cameron,  5  ch.     (In  Comedies  in  Miniature.) 

Boosting  Bridget,  Gale,  7  ch.,  Fr. 

*  Behind  A  Watteau  Picture,  Rogers,  12  ch.,  Bk. 

*  Between  The  Soup  &  The  Savory,  Jennings,  3  ch.,  Fr. 
Chinese  Dummy,  A,  Campbell,  6  ch.,  Bk. 

*  Clinging  Vine,  The,  Gale,  13  ch..  Bk. 

Dress    Rehearsal,    Macmillan,    10    ch.      (In    More    Short 
Plays.) 

*  Endymion,  Warren,  10  ch.,  3  a.,  Bk. 

*  Flower  of  The  Yeddo,  Mapes,  4  ch.,  Fr. 
Fighting  Chance,  A,  Shoemaker,  1 1  ch.,  3  a.,  Bk. 

137 


138  CHOOSING  A  PLAY 

Her  First  Assignment,  Bridgham,  10  ch.,  Bk. 

Hannah  Gives  Notice,  4  ch.,  F. 

In  Mendelasia,  Macmillan,  5  ch.     (In  More  One  Acts.) 

*  Joint  Owners  in  Spain,  Alice  Brown,  4-  ch.,  Bk. 

*  Lost  Pleiad,  The,  Drasefield,  10  ch..  Sunwise  Turn  Book 

Shop. 

*  Love  &  Tea,  A.  P.  See,  8  ch.,  Bk. 

Miss  Fearless  &  Co.,  Locke,  10  ch.,  3  a.,  Bk. 
Maidens  All  Forlorn,  Simms,  7  ch.,  3  a.,  Bk. 
Mrs.  Oakley's  Telephone,  Jennings,  4  ch.,  2  a.,  Fr. 

*  Manners   &   Modes,   Cooke,   9   ch.     (In   Dramatic   Epi- 

sodes.) 
Man  in  The  Case,  The,  Packard,  6  ch,,  3  a.,  Bk. 
Mennemen  Inn,  West,  17  ch.,  3  a.,  Fr. 

*  Mothers  of  Men,  Wilde,  2  ch.      (In  The  Unseen  Host.) 

*  Martha's  Mourning,  Hoffman,  3  ch.     (In  Representative 

One- Act  Plays,  Little,  Brown  Co.) 

*  Miss  Tassey,  Baker,  5  ch.,  Fr. 

New  Crusade,  The,  Gale,  12  ch.,  2  a.,  Bk. 
Old  Peabody  Pew,  The,  Wiggin,  9  ch.,  2  a.,  Fr. 
Oxford  Affair,  The,  Cobb,  8  ch.,  3  a..  Shoemaker. 
One  On  Dick,  Bridgham,  6  ch.,  3  a.,  Bk. 

*  Pierrot  of  the  Minute,  The,  Ernest  Dawson,  2  ch.,  Bk. 
Piper's  Pay,  The,  Cameron,  7  ch.,  Fr. 

Pledging  of  Polly,  The,  Lyon,  12  ch.,  2  a.,  Bk. 

*  Princess  Kiku,  The,  Hutchinson,  9  ch.,  E.  E.  Hs. 
Rebellious  Jane,  Gale.  8  ch.,  3  a.,  Bk. 

Reform,  Cooke,  2  ch.     (In  Dramatic  Episodes.) 

*  Russian  Honeymoon,  A,  Harrison,  6  ch.,  3  a.,  Dr.  P.  Co. 

*  Revolt,  The,  E.  P.  Butler,  8  ch.,  E.  E.  Hs. 
Sylvia's  Aunts,  Waldo,  8  ch.,  2  a.,  Bk. 
Sunbonnets,  Campbell,  1 1  ch.,  2  a.,  Bk. 

*  Six  Cups  of  Chocolate,  Matthews,  6  ch.,  Harper  Pub.  Co. 

*  Stronger,  The,  Strindberg,  2  ch.,  Fr. 


REQUIRING  ONLY  WOMEN     139 

Three  Chauffeurs,  The,  Cliatterson,  17  eh.,  2  a.,  Fr. 
Trouble  At  Satterlec's,  The,  Wilson,  7  ch..  Shoemaker. 
Truth  About  Jane,  The,  Thompson,  7  ch.,  Bk, 
Three  Girls  From  School,  West,  14  ch.,  2  a.,  Fr. 
Truth  The  Mischief,  Thompson,  6  ch.,  Dr.  P.  Co. 

*  Twig  of  Thorn,  The,  Warren,  13  ch.,  2  a.,  Bk. 

*  Turtle  Dove,  The,  Alison,  7  ch.     (In  Six  One  Acts.) 

*  Voices,    Flexner,    2    ch.     (In    Representative    One-Act 

Plays,  Little  Brown  Co.) 

*  Will  O'  The  W^isp,  4  ch.,  Doris  F.  Holman.     (In  Repre- 

sentative One- Act  Plays,  Little  Brown  Co.) 


SECTION  V 

ONE-ACT  PLAYS  IN  PAMPHLET  FORM 

Grade  I 

This  list  contains  much  excellent  material. 
The  plays  will  cost  in  a  few  instances  fifty  or 
seventy-five  cents,  some  but  twenty-five  cents. 
The  number  of  characters  ranges  from  three  to 
ten,  and  the  time  from  twenty  minutes  to  one 
hour : 

Asaph,  Bates,  Drama,  Mar.  1920. 

Another  Way  Out,  Langer,  Shay. 

Altruism,  Glazer,  Shay, 

At  Slovsky's,  Hawkridge,  Harvard  Workshop  "47." 

At  the  Golden  Goose,  Lefevre,  Fr. 

At  The  Shrine,  Young,  "Theater  Arts  Mag.."  July,  1919. 

Bank  Account,  The,  Brock.      (In  Plays   of  the  Harvard 

Dr.  Club,  Brentano.) 
Bear,  A,  Tchekov,  Fr. 
Behind  A  Watteau  Picture,  Rogers,  Bk. 
Bishop's  Candlesticks,  The,  McKinnell,  Fr. 
Bird  in  Hand,  Hausman,  Fr. 
Birthday,  The,  Fulda,  Fr. 
Bit  of  Love,  A,  Galsworthy,  Fr. 

140 


PLAYS  IN  PAMPHLET  FORM     141 

Columbine,  Arkell,  Fr. 

Cathleen  Ni  Hoolihan,  Yeats,  Brentano. 

Chenerys,  The,  Unger,  Fr, 

Culprit,  The,  Weil,  "Smart  Set." 

Coming  of  Fair  Annie,  The,  Price,  Fr. 

Comedy  and  Tragedy,  Gilbert,  Fr. 

Christening  Robe,  The,  Estabrook,  Bk. 

Clod,  The,  Beach.     (In  W.  Sq.  Plays,  Doubleday,  Page.) 

Campbell  of  Kilmlior,  Ferguson,  Fr. 

Constant  Lover,  The,  Rankin,  "Smart  Set." 

Close  the  Book,  Glaspell,  Shay. 

Dear  Little  Wife,  A,  Guldlunn,  Fr. 

Dad,  M.  Parry,  Fr. 

Dumb  and  the  Blind,  The,  Chapin,  Fr. 

Dryad  and  the  Deacon,  The,  Bates,  Drama,  Mar.,  1920, 

Death  and  the  Fool,  Von  Hofraansthal,  Badger. 

Dark  Lady  of  The  Sonnets,  The,  Shaw,  Fr. 

Dust  of  the  Road,  Goodman,  Stage  Guild. 

Dumb  Cake,  The,  Morrison  &  Pryce,  Fr. 

Dreamy   Kid,   The,  O'Neill,   "Theater  Arts   Mag.,"   Jan., 

1920. 
Dregs,  Spencer.     (In  Rep.  One-Act  Plays,  Little  Brown.) 
Enter  the  Hero.  Helburn,  Shay. 
Eight  O'clock,  St.  John  Ervine,  Fr. 
Florist  Shop,  The,  Hawkridge,  "Boston  Transcript." 
Fourteen,  Gerstenberg,  Dr.  Feb.,  1020. 
Fifth  Commandment,  The,  Bierstadt,  "Drama,"  June,  1920. 
Green  Coat,  The,  DeMusset,  Fr. 
Great  Look,  The,  Faydon,  Fr. 
Green  Cockatoo,  The,  Schnitzler,  Fr. 
Game  of  Chess,  Goodman,  Shay. 
Hero  of  Santa  Maria,  The,  Goodman,  Shay. 
How  He  Lied  to  Her  Husband,  Shaw, — Brentano. 
How  The  Vote  Was  Won,  Hamilton,  Dr.  P.  Co. 
Hour  Glass,  The,  Yeats,  Brentano. 


142  CHOOSING  A  PLAY 

Hobson's  Choice,  Brighouse,  Fr. 

Hattie,  DePue.     (In  Rep.  One-Act  Plays,  Little  Brown.) 

Indian  Summer,  Meilhac,  Fr. 

Interior,  Maeterlinck,  Fr. 

Introducing  Nettie.  Abe,  "Boston  Transcript." 

Jean  Marie,  Fleuriet,  Fr. 

Little  Heroes,  Pinski,  "Boston  Transcript." 

Land  of  Heart's  Desire,  The,  Yeats,  Fr. 

Last  Man  In,  The,  Maxwell,  Fr. 

Lonesome  Like,  Brighouse,  Fr. 

Little  Dream,  The,  Galsworthy,  Fr. 

Lithuania,  Brooke,  "Boston  Transcript." 

Little  King,  The,  Bynner,  Kennerly. 

Listening,  Froome,  "Poet  Lore." 

Last  Straw,  The,  Crocker.     (In  Rep.  One- Act  Plays,  Little, 

Brown.) 
Marriages  Are  Made  in  Heaven,  Price,  Fr. 
Maker  of  Men,  A.  Sutro,  Fr. 
Mr.  Sampson,  Lee,  Fr. 
Miss  Civilization,  Davies,  Fr. 
Miss  Maria,  Deland,  Fr. 
Man  of  Destiny,  The,  Shaw,  Brentano. 
Maker  of  Dreams,  The,  Downs,  Fr. 
Maid  of  France,  The,  Brigliouse,  Fr. 
Man  in  the  Street,  Parker,  Fr. 
Make  Believe  Rackstraw,  Fr. 
Marriage  Proposal,  A,  TchekofF,  Fr. 
Monkey's  Paw,  The,  Parker,  Fr. 
Moondown,  Pub.  Shay. 

Miracle  of  St.  Anthony,  The,  Maeterlinck,  Fr. 
Moonshine,  Hopkins,  "Theater  Arts  Magazine." 
Maker  of  Magic,  A,  MacKaye,  "Delineator,"  1918. 
No  Smoking,  Benavente,  "Dramatic  Quarterly." 
Open  Gate,  The,  Chamber,  Fr. 
'Op  O'  Me  Thumb,  Fenn  &  Pryce,  Fr. 


PLAYS  IN  PAMPHLET  FORM    148 

Pot  O'  Broth,  A,  Yeats,  Brentano. 

Plots  and  Playwrights,  Massey,  Shay. 

Price,  The,  Bargate,  Fr. 

Price  of  Coal,  The,  Brighouse,  Fr. 

Pretty  Sabine  Women,  The,  Andreyev,  "Drama  Magazine," 

Playgoers,  Pinero,  Fr. 

Phoenix,  The,  Irving,  Fr. 

Q,  Hawtrey,  Fr. 

Quod  Wrangle,  The,  Downs,  Fr. 

Ruby  Red,  Stratton,  Dr.  Feb.  1920. 

Riders  To  The  Sea,  Synge,  Brentano. 

Rushlight,  O'Shea,  "Drama  Quarterly." 

Rector,  The,  Crothers,  Fr. 

Ryland,  Stevens  and  Yerdman,  Stage  Guild  &  in  Rep.  One- 
Act  Plays,  Little  Brown. 

Road  House  in  Arden,  A,  Moeller,  Shay. 

Street  Singer,  The,  Echegaray,  "Drama  Quarterly." 

Snow  Man,  The,  Hausman,  Fr. 

Scaring  Oft"  of  Teddy  Dawson,  The,  Brighouse,  Fr. 

Suppressed  Desires,  Glaspell.  (In  Rep.  One- Act  Plays, 
Little  Brown.) 

Silent  Voice,  The,  Tadema,  Scribners. 

Sintram  of  Skagerrak,  Cowan.  (In  Rep.  One-Act  Plays, 
Little  Brown.) 

Tinker's  Wedding,  The,  Synge,  Luce. 

Trifles,  Glaspell,  Shay. 

Tune  of  a  Tune,  A,  Totheroh,  Dr.  Feb.  1920. 

Waterloo,  Doyle,  Fr. 

Wager,  The,  Giacosa,  Fr. 

Why  Cupid  Came  to  Earl's  Cote,  Hamilton,  Fr. 

Woman  Intervenes,  Manners,  Fr. 

Wonder  Hat,  The,  Heclit  &  Goodman.  (In  Rep.  One-Act 
Plays,  Little  Brown.) 

Where  But  In  America,  Wolff".  (In  Rep.  One-Act  Plays, 
Little  Brown.) 


144.  CHOOSING  A  PLAY 

Grade  II 

The  following  list  contains  few  plays  which 
will  cost  over  twenty-five  cents,  many  only  fifteen. 
Characters  from  three  to  ten,  the  time  from  fif- 
teen to  forty  minutes : 

All  For  Sweet  Charity,  Mathews,  Warner. 

America  Passes  By,  Andrews,  Bk. 

At  Sixes  and  Sevens,  Morton,  D.  &  F. 

Back  of  The  Ballot,  Middleton,  Fr. 

Barbara,  Jerome,  Bk. 

Bone  of  Contention,  The,  McConnell,  Bk. 

Case  of  Suspension,  A,  Wilson,  P.  P. 

Changeling,  The,  Jacobs,  Fr. 

Comus,  Milton,  Bk. 

Cinders,  Tinsley,  Fr. 

Close  Call,  A,  frwin,  Bk. 

Cup  of  Tea,  A,  Dr.  P.  Co. 

Cinderelline,  Kiper,  Dr.  P.  Co. 

Dress  Rehearsal,  A,  Carroll,  P.  P. 

Food,  DeMille,  Fr. 

Gringore,  Shirley,  Dr.  P.  Co. 

Gloves,  Cannon,  "Tlieater  Arts  Mag.,"  Apr.,  1920. 

Happy  Pair,  A,  Smith,  Bk. 

Lend  Me  Five  Shillings,  Morton,  Shoem. 

Little  Co-ed,  The,  Osborn,  Bk. 

Mouse  Trap.  The,  Howells,  Harper  Bros. 

My  Wife's  Bonnet,  Morton,  Fr. 

Ninth  Waltz,  The,  Carton,  Fr. 

Obstinate  Family,  The,  Fr. 

Owin'  to  Maggie,  Trent,  Bk. 

Quits,  Brown,  Bk. 


PLAYS  IN  PAMPHLET  FORM     145 

Special  Delivery,  Henderson,  Bk. 
Six  to  One,  Mathews,  Bk. 
St.  Cecelia,  Short,  Fr, 
Sunset,  Jerome,  Fr. 
Silent  System,  The,  Dreyfus,  Bk. 
Successful  Stratagem,  A,  Rice. 
Templeton  Teapot,  The,  Strong,  Bk. 
That  Rascal  Pat,  Green,  Bk. 
Winning  of  Fuji,  The,  Gray,  Dr.  P.  Co. 
Wedding  Dress,  The,  Rice. 


SECTION  VI 

ONE-ACT  PLAYS  FOR  MALE  CHARACTERS 

There  is  very  little  material  in  the  way  of 
plays  in  two  or  three  acts  for  all  male  characters. 
A  list  of  plays  of  so  much  merit  as  these  which 
follow  should  attract  any  who  seek  material  for 
the  work  of  men's  clubs.  These  plays  will  be 
found,  for  the  most  part,  in  the  books  of  one-act 
plays  previously  listed : 

Allison's  Lad,  Dix,  6  ch.     (In  "Allison's  Lad.") 

Augustus  In  Search  of  A  Father,  3  ch.,  Chapin,  Fr. 

As  Good  as  Gold,  7  ch.  (Morality)  Housman,  Fr. 

Bit  of  Instruction,  A,  Sutherland,  2  ch.      (In  'To'  White 

Trash.") 
Bogie  Man,  The,  Gregory,  2  ch.     (In  "New  Comedies.") 
Bound   East   For   Cardiff,   O'Neill,    11    ch.,    Prov.    Plays, 

Vol.  1. 
Brink  of  Silence,  The,  Galbraith,  4  ch.     (In  Rep.  One-Act 

Plays,  Little  Brown.) 
Captain  of  the  Gate,  The,  Dix,  6  ch.     (In  "Allison's  Lad.") 
Dark  of  the  Dawn,  Dix,  4  ch.      (In  "Allison's  Lad.") 
Funiculi,    Funicula,   Wellman,    3    ch.     (In    Rep.    One-Act 

Plays,  Little,  Brown.) 
Game  of  Chess,  A,  Goodman,  4  ch.,  Shay. 

146 


FOR  MALE  CHARACTERS      147 

Gods    of    the    Mountains,    Dunsany,    11    ch.      (In    "Five 

Plays.") 
Glittering  Gate,  The,  Dunsany,  2  ch.     (In  "Five  Plays.") 
Gargoyle,  The,  Middleton,  3  ch.      (In  "Embers.") 
Ghost  of  Jerry  Bundler,  The,  7  ch.,  Fr. 
Hooligan,  The,  Gilbert,  4  ch.,  Scribner's. 
Hundredth  Trick,  The,  Dix,  4  ch.     (In  "Allison's  Lad.") 
Hunger,    Pillot,    5    ch.    (In    Rep.    One- Act    Plays,    Little 

Brown.) 
In  the  Ravine,  P.  Wilde,  2  ch.      (In  "The  Unseen  Host.") 
Introducing  Nettie,  Ade,  2  ch.,  "Boston  Transcript." 
Medicine   Show,   The,   Walker,   3   ch.     (In  "Portmanteau 

Plays.") 
Magnanimity,  O'Brien,  6  ch.     (In  "Duty.") 
Moonshine,  Hopkins,  2  ch.,  "Theater  Arts  Mag.,"   1-'19. 
Night  At  An  Inn,  A,  Dunsany,  7  ch.,  Fr. 
Outcast,  Strindberg,  2  ch.      (In  "Three  Plays.") 
Pariah,  Strindberg,  2  ch.,  Fr. 

Pawns,  P.  Wilde,  6  ch.      (In  "The  Unseen  Host.") 
Pixy,  The,  Mrs.  Havelock  Ellis,  3  ch.      (In  "Love  In  Dan- 
ger.") 
Rising  of  the  Moon,  The,  Gregory,  4  ch.     (In  "Seven  Short 

Plays.") 
Rehearsal,  The,  Baring,  7  ch.      (In  "Diminutive  Dramas.") 
Snare  and   the   Fowler,   The,   Dix,   3   ch.      (In   "Allison's 

Lad.") 
Traitor,  The,  P.  Wilde,  7  ch.      (In  "Dawn.") 
Unseen   Host,   The,   P.   Wilde,   3  ch.      (In   "The  Unseen 

Host.") 
Valkyrie,  The,  P.  Wilde,  2  ch.      (In  "The  Unseen  Host.") 
Way  Out,  A,  Frost,  2  ch.,  "Seven  Arts  Magazine." 
Weakest  Link,  The,  Dix,  4  ch.      (In  "Allison's  Lad.") 
Zone  Police,  The,  R.  H.  Davis,  4  ch.,  Fr. 


SECTION  VII 

BOOKS  OF  ONE-ACT  PLAYS 

The    volumes    starred   are,    in   the    author's 
opinion,  of  greatest  general  value. 

Ancey,  George.  Four  Plays  for  Free  Theater.  Stewart  & 
Kidd.  The  Fossils^  The  Serenade,  Dupe,  Francoise' 
Luck. 

x\ndreyev,  Leonid.  Five  Plays.  Scribner.  The  Life  of 
Man,  Caternia  ivanovna.  The  Sabine  Women,  The 
Black  Masters,  Professor  Staretgin. 

Aldis,  Mary.  Plays  for  Small  Stages.  Duffield,  N.  Y. 
The  Drama  Class  of  Tankaha,  Nevada,  Extreme 
Unction,  The  Letter,  Temperament. 

Barker,  Granville.  Three  Short  Plays.  Little,  Brown  & 
Co.     Rococo,  Vote  by  Ballot,  Farewell  to  the  Theater. 

*Barrie,  J.  M.  Echoes  of  War.  Scribner.  The  Old  Lady 
Shows  Her  Medals,  The  New  Word,  A  Well  Remem- 
bered Voice,  Barbara's  Wedding. 

*Barrie,  J.  M.  Half  Hours.  Chas.  Scribner,  N.  Y.  Pan- 
taloon, Rosalind,  Twelve  Pound  Look,  The  Will. 

Bennet,  Arnold.  Polite  Farces.  Farnley  &  Co.,  London. 
A  Good  Woman,  A  Question  of  Sex,  The  Stepmother. 

Brunner,  Beatrice.  Bits  of  Background.  Alfred  Knopf, 
N.  Y.  Over  Age,  The  Spark  of  Life,  Strangers. 
Making  a  Man. 

Cameron,  Margaret.     Comedies  in  Miniature.     Doubleday 

148 


BOOKS  OF  ONE-ACT  PLAYS     149 

&  Page,  N.  Y.  Miss  Doulton's  Orchids,  The  Burglar, 
The  Kleptomaniac,  A  Pipe  of  Peace,  A  Committee  on 
Matrimony. 

Cannan,  Gilbert.  Four  Plays.  Brentano.  James  and 
John,  Mary's  Wedding,  Miles  Dixon,  A  Short  Way 
with  Authors. 

Cooke,  Marjorie  B.  Dramatic  Episodes.  Dr.  Pub.  Co., 
Chicago.  A  Court  Comedy,  Manners  and  Modes,  The 
Confessional,  The  Child  in  the  House,  Lady  Betty's 
Burglar,  Dinner  with  Complications,  Reform,  Success, 
The  Lion  and  the  Lady,  When  Love  is  Young. 

Contemporary  Spanish  Dramatists,  C.  A.  Turrell,  Badger, 
Boston.     Contains  6  plays. 

DeMusset,  Alfred.  Barberine.  Dr,  Pub.  Co.,  Chicago. 
Barberine,  Fantasio,  No  Trifling  with  Love,  A  Door 
Must  Be  Either  Open  or  Shut,  A  Caprice,  One  Cannot 
Think  of  Everything. 

*Dix,  Beulah  M.  Allison's  Lad.  Holt,  N.  Y.  Allison's 
Lad,  Captain  of  the  Gate,  Dark  of  the  Dawn,  The 
Hundredth  Trick,  The  Snare  and  the  Fowler,  The 
Weakest  Link. 

Dreiser,  Theodore.  Plays  of  Natural  and  Supernatural. 
John  Lane,  N.  Y.  The  Girl  in  the  Coffin,  The  Blue 
Sphere,  Laughing  Gas,  In  tlie  Dark,  Spring  Recital, 
Light  in  the  Window,  The  Old  Rag-picker. 

*Dunsany,  Lord.  Four  Plays.  John  Luce,  Boston. 
Tents  of  the  Arabs,  Laughter  of  the  Gods,  The  Queen's 
Enemies,  A  Niglit  at  an  Inn. 

*Dunsany,  Lord.  Five  Plays.  Little,  Brown  &  Co.,  Bos- 
ton. Gods  of  the  Mountains,  The  Golden  Age,  King 
Argimcnes  and  the  Unknown  Warrior,  The  Glittering 
Gate,  The  Lost  Silk  Hat. 

Ellis,  Mrs,  Havelock.  Love  in  Danger.  Houghton  Miff- 
lin.    The  Subjection  of  Kezia,  The  Pixy,  The  Mothers. 


150  CHOOSING  A  PLAY 

Enander,  Hilda.  Three  Plays.  Richard  Badger.  In  the 
Light  of  the  Stone,  The  Man  Who  Did  Not  Under- 
stand, Western  Like. 

Ervine,  St.  John.  Four  Irish  Plays.  Maunsel,  London. 
The  Magnanimous  Lover,  The  Orangeman,  The  Crit- 
ics, Mixed  Marriage. 

*Fitzmaurice,  George.  Five  Plays.  Little,  Brown  &  Co., 
Boston.  The  Country  Dressmaker,  The  Moonlighter, 
The  Pie  Dish,  The  Magic  Glasses,  The  Dandy  Dolls 
(Irish). 

Guild,  Thatcher.  The  Power  of  God.  U.  111.  Press. 
Class  of  '56,  The  Higher  Good,  The  Portrait. 

Giacosa,  Guiseppe.  Sacred  Ground.  Mitchell  Kennerley. 
Falling  Leaves,  Sacred  Ground,  The  Stronger. 

Goldoni,  Carlo.  Four  Comedies.  A.  C.  McClurg.  A 
Curious  Mishap,  The  Beneficent  Bear,  The  Fan,  The 
Spendthrift. 

Goodman,  Kenneth  S.  Quick  Curtains.  Stage  Guild,  Chi- 
cago. Dust  of  the  Road,  A  Game  of  Chess,  Barbara, 
Ephraim  and  the  Winged  Bear,  Back  of  the 
Yards,  The  Dancing  Dolls,  A  Man  Can  Only  Do  His 
Best. 

*Graham,  Bertna  N.  Spoiling  the  Broth.  Samuel  French, 
N.  Y.  Spoiling  the  Broth,  The  Rose  with  a  Thorn, 
The  Land  of  the  Free,  The  Little  Red  Fox,  Pitch  and 
Toss,  Oh,  the  Press. 

Green,  Clay  M.  Four  Plays.  George  Doran  &  Co.  The 
Dispensation,  The  Star  of  Bethlehem,  The  Awakening 
of  Barbizon,  Through  Christmas  Bells. 
Gregory,  Lady  Augusta.  New  Comedies.  Putnam,  N.  Y, 
Coats,  The  Full  Moon,  MacDonough's  Wife,  The  Bogie 
Man,  Daemer's  Gold. 
*Gregory,  Lady  Augusta.  Seven  Short  Plays.  Putnam, 
N.    Y.     The   Workhouse   Ward,   The    Rising   of   the 


BOOKS  OF  ONE-ACT  PLAYS     151 

Moon,  The  Jackdaw,  Spreading  the  News,  Hyacinth 

Halvey,  The  Traveling  Man,  The  Gaol  Gate. 
*Houghton,    Stanley    G.     Five    One-Act    Plays.     Samuel 

French,    N.    Y.     The    Dear    Departed,    Fancy    Free, 

The  Fifth  Commandment,  The  Master  of  the  House, 

Phipps. 
*Harvard  Plays,  Vol.  1.     Brentano,  N.  Y.     Three  Pills  in 

a  Bottle,  The  Good  Men  Do,  Two  Crooks  and  a  Lady, 

Free  Speech. 
Harvard  Plays,  Vol.  2.     Garafelia's  Husband,  The  Harbor 

of  Lost  Ships,  The  Scales  and  the  Sword,  The  Four 

Flushers. 
*Hay,  Ian.     The  Crimson  Cocoanut.     Baker,  Boston.     A 

Late  Delivery,  The  Crimson  Cocoanut,  The  Missing 

Card. 
Jex,     John.     Passion     Playlets.     Cornhill     Co.,     Detroit. 

Violet  Souls,   The   Nest,  Mr.   Willoughly   Calls,   The 

Unnecessary  Atom. 
*Jennings,     Gertrude.     Four     One-Act     Plays.     French. 

The    Rest   Cure,   The    Pros    and    Cons,   Acid   Drops, 

Between  the  Soup  and  the  Savory. 
Jones,  Henry  A.     The  Theater  of  Ideas.     George  Doran, 

N.  Y.     The  Goal,  Her  Tongue,  Grace  Mary. 
*Kreymborg,    Alfred.     Plays    for    Poet    Mimes,     Sunwise 

Turn,    N.    Y.     When   William    Nods,    Jack's    House, 

Lima  Beans,  Blue  and  Green,  Manikin  and  Minikin, 

People  Who  Die. 
*Mackay,  Constance  D.     The  Beau  of  Bath.     Henry  Holt, 

N.  Y.     The  Beau  of  Bath,  The  Silver  Lining,  Ashes 

of  Roses,  Gretna  Green,  Council  Retained,  Prince  of 

Court  Painters. 
*Mackay,    Constance    D.     The    Forest    Princess.     Henry 

Holt.  N  Y.     Forest  Princess,  The  Gift  of  Time,  Con- 
servation, Pomona,  The  Sun  Goddess. 


152  CHOOSING  A  PLAY 

*MacKaye,  Percy.  Yankee  Fantasies.  Duffield  &  Co., 
N.  Y.  The  Antick  Chuck,  Gettysburg,  Sam  Average, 
The  Cat  Boat. 

^Manners,  J.  Hartley.  Happiness.  Dodd,  Mead  &  Co., 
N.  Y.  Happiness,  It's  Just  as  Well,  The  Day  of 
Dupes. 

*Marks,  Janet.  Three  Welsh  Plays.  Little,  Brown  &  Co. 
The  Merry  Merry  Cuckoo,  The  Deacon's  Hat,  The 
Welsh  Honej'moon. 

*Merrington,  Marguerite.  Festival  Plays.  DufSeld  &  Co., 
N.  Y.  Father  Time  and  His  Children,  Tertulla's  Gar- 
den, Seven  Sleepers  of  Ephesos,  Princess  Moss  Rose, 
The  Testing  of  Sir  Gawayne,  A  Christmas  Party. 

Middleton,  George.  Embers.  Henry  Holt  &  Co.,  N.  Y. 
Embers,  The  Failures,  The  Gargoyle,  In  His  House, 
Madonna,  The  Man  Masterful. 

Middleton,  George.  Tradition.  Henry  Holt  &  Co.,  N.  Y. 
The  Cheat  of  Pity,  On  Bail,  Their  Wife,  Waiting, 
Tradition,  Mothers. 

Middleton,  George.  Possession.  Henry  Holt  &  Co.,  N.  Y. 
Possession,  The  Groove,  The  Black  Tie,  A  Good 
Woman,  Circles,  The  Unborn. 

Middleton,  George.  Masks.  Henry  Holt  &  Co.  Tides, 
Jim's  Beast,  The  Reason,  Among  the  Lions,  The  House. 

Morley,  Malcolm.  Told  By  The  Gate.  Gorham  Press, 
Boston.  Told  By  The  Gate,  The  Masterpiece,  Recol- 
lections, The  Cosher,  Beauty  versus  the  Beast,  A  Motor 
Mishap, 

*MacMillan,  Mary.  Short  Plays.  Stewart  &  Kidd,  Cin- 
cinnati. The  Shadowed  Star,  The  Ring,  The  Rose, 
Luck,  Entr'  Acts,  A  Fan  and  Two  Candle-sticks,  A 
Woman's  A  Woman  for  A'  That.  A  Modern  Masque, 
The  Futurists,  The  Gate  of  Wishes. 

MacMillan,  Mary.     More  Short  Plays.     Stewart  &  Kidd, 


BOOKS  OF  ONE-ACT  PLAYS     153 

Cincinnati.  His  Second  Girl,  At  the  Church  Door, 
Honey,  The  Dress  Rehearsal  of  Hamlet,  The  Pioneers, 
In  Mendelesia,  The  Dryad. 

Moeller,  Phillip.  Five  Somewhat  Historical  Plays.  Al- 
fred Knopf,  N.  Y.  Helena's  Husband,  A  Roadhouse 
in  Arden,  Sisters  of  Susannah,  The  Little  Supper, 
Pokey,  Burlesques. 

Morningside  Plays.  Pub.  Frank  Shay,  N.  Y.  Hattie, 
One  a  Day,  Markheim,  The  Home  of  the  Free. 

Nirdlingler,  Chas.  Four  Short  Plays.  Mitchell  Ken- 
nerley.  Big  Kate,  Look  After  Louise,  The  Real  Peo- 
ple, Are  n't  They  Wonders  ? 

O'Neill,  Eugene.  The  Moon  of  the  Caribbees.  Boni  & 
Liveright,  N.  Y.  Bound  East  For  Cardiff,  The  Long 
Voyage  Home,  He,  In  the  Zone,  Where  the  Cross  is 
Made,  The  Rope. 

O'Brien,  Seumas.  Duty  (Irish).  Little,  Brown  Co.,  Bos- 
ton. Duty,  Jurisprudence,  Magnanimity,  Match- 
makers, Retribution. 

Oliver,  Margaret  Scott.  Six  One-Act  Plays.  Richard 
Badger,  Boston.  The  Hand  of  the  Prophet,  Children 
of  Grenada,  The  Turtle  Dove,  This  Youth,  Gentlemen, 
The  Striker,  Murdering  Selina. 

Pinski,  David.  Six  Plays  of  the  Yiddish  Theater,  John 
Luce.  Abigail,  Forgotten  Souls,  She  Must  Marry  a 
Doctor,  Winter,  In  the  Dark,  The  Sinner. 

Phillips,  Stephen.  Lyrics  and  Dramas.  John  Lane,  N.  Y. 
The  King,  The  Adversary,  Nero's  Mother. 

*Provincetown  Plays.  Frank  Shay,  137  Macdougal  St., 
N.  Y.  Vol.  1  Bound  East  For  Cardiff,  The  Game, 
King  Arthur's  Socks.  Vol.  111.,  The  Two  Sons,  Lima 
Beans,  Before  Breakfast. 

Paine,  Ursula.  Plays  of  Democracy.  Harper  &  Co.  The 
Vision   of    Columbus,    At    the    Gate    of    Peace,    The 


154  CHOOSING  A  PLAY 

Golden  Star,  The  Highway  of  the  King,  The  Con- 
version of  Mrs.  Slacker,  The  Hardships  of  Valley- 
Forge. 

Reely,  Mary  K.  Daily  Bread.  H.  W.  Wilson  Co.,  N.  Y. 
The  Lean  Years,  A  Window  to  the  South. 

Representative  One-Oct  Plays.  Mayorga.  Little,  Brown 
&  Co.,  Boston.  (Contains  24  of  the  best  plays  in  this 
form  together  with  bibliography.  A  most  valuable 
book.) 

Schnitzler,  Arthur.  Comedies  of  Words.  Stewart  &  Kidd. 
The  Hour  of  Recognition,  The  Big  Scene,  The  Festival 
of  Bacchus,  Helpmate,  Literature. 

Sinclair,  Upton.  Plays  of  protest.  Mitchell  Kennerley. 
The  Machine,  The  Nature  Woman,  The  Second  Story 
Man,  Princess  Hagen. 

Stevens,  Thomas  W.  and  Goodman,  K.  S.  Masques  of  East 
and  West.  Lawrence  Gomme,  N.  Y.  The  Daimio's 
Head,  Masque  of  Montezuma,  Caesar's  Gods,  Rainald 
and  the  Red  Wolf,  Masque  of  Quetzal's  Bowl. 

Sudermann,  Hermann.  Morituri.  Scribner,  N.  Y.  Teja, 
Fritzchen,  The  Eternal  Masculine. 

Sudermann,  Hermann.  Roses.  Scribner,  N.  Y.  The  Far 
Away  Princess,  The  Last  Visit,  Margot,  Streaks  of 
Light. 

Sutherland,  Evelyn  G.  Po'  White  Trash.  Duffield  &  Co., 
N.  Y.  Po'  White  Trash,  In  Far  Bohemia,  The  End 
of  the  Way,  A  Comedie  Royall,  A  Bit  of  Instruction, 
A  Song  at  the  Castle,  Rohan  the  Silent,  At  the  Bara- 
cade,  Galatea  of  the  Toyshop. 

*Sutro,  Alfred.  Five  Little  Plays.  Brentano,  N.  Y.  The 
Bracelet,  The  Man  in  the  Stalls,  The  Man  on  the  Kerb, 
A  Marriage  Has  Been  Arranged. 

Tagore,  Rabindranath.  Sacrifice  and  other  Plays.  Mac- 
millan  &  Co.  Sacrifice,  The  King  &  Queen,  Molini, 
Sanyasi. 


BOOKS  OF  ONE-ACT  PLAYS     155 

Torrence,  Ridgely.  Plays  for  a  Negro  Theater.  Macrail- 
lan  &  Co.  Granny  Mauraee,  The  Rider  of  Dreams, 
Simon  the  Cyrenean. 

Walker,  Stuart.  More  Portmanteau  Plays.  Stewart  & 
Kidd,  Cincinnati,  O.  The  Lady  of  the  Weeping  Wil- 
low Tree,  The  Very  Naked  Boy,  Jonathan  Makes  a 
Wish. 

*Walker,  Stuart,  Portmanteau  Plays.  Stewart  &  Kidd, 
Cincinnati.  The  Trimplet,  The  Six  Who  Passed, 
Nevertheless,  The  Medicine  Show. 

Wilde,  Percival.  Confessional.  Henry  Holt,  N.  Y,  Con- 
fessional, The  Villain  in  the  Piece,  According  to  Dar- 
win, The  Question  of  Morality,  The  Beautiful  Story. 

*Wilde,  Percival.  The  Unseen  Host  and  Other  Plays. 
Little,  Brown  &  Co.  The  Unseen  Host,  Mothers  of 
Men,  Pawns,  In  the  Ravine,  Valkyrie. 

*Wilde,  Percival.  Dawn.  Henry  Holt,  N.  Y.  Dawn, 
The  Noble  Lord,  The  Traitor,  Playing  With  Fire,  The 
Finger  of  God. 

*Washington  Square  Plays.  Doubleday  &  Page,  N.  Y. 
Overtones,  The  Clod,  Eugenically  Speaking,  Helena's 
Husband. 

Watts,  Mary  S.  Three  Short  Plays.  MacMillan,  N.  Y. 
An  Ancient  Dance,  Civilization,  The  Wearin'  of  the 
Green. 

*Wiseonsin  Plays.  Vol.  1.  W.  B.  Huebsch,  N.  Y. 
Neighbors,  In  Hospital,  Glory  of  the  Morning. 

Wisconsin  Plays.  Vol.  11.  W.  B.  Huebsch,  N.  Y.  The 
Feast  of  the  Holy  Innocents,  On  the  Pier,  The  Shadow, 
We  Live  Again. 

*  Yeats,  Wm.  B.  The  Hour  Glass.  Macmillan,  N.  Y. 
The  Hour  Glass,  Cathleen  ni  Hoolilian,  A  Plot  of 
Broth. 


156  CHOOSING  A  PLAY 

One-act  plays  from  various  countries  may  be 
found  as  follows : 

Modern  Icelandic  Plays,  American  Scandinavian  Founda- 
tion Society,  N.  Y. 

The  Treasurers  (Yiddish),  David  Pinski,  Huebsch,  N.  Y. 

Plays  from  the  Russian.     Ostrosky.     Scribner. 

Four  Plays  from  the  Spanish.     Benavente.     Scribner. 

Five  One-Act  Plays  from  the  Spanish  appeared  in  the 
"Drama  Quarterly,"  for  May,  1915. 

Five  Russian  Plays.     E.  P.  Dutton^  N.  Y. 


SECTION  VIII 

PLAYS  POSSIBLE  FOR  OUTDOOR  PRODUCTION 

Antick.  The,  MacKaye.      (In  "Yankee  Fantasies.") 

Arrow  Maker,  The,  Austin,  Duffield  &  Co.,  N.  Y. 

Beyond  the  Gate,  Crandall,  Fr. 

Chaplet  of  Pan,  Rice  &  Stevens,  Stage  Guild,  Chicago,  1527 
Railway  Exchange  Building. 

Comus,  Milton,  Music  Prof.  Lewis,  Tuft's  College. 

Columbine,  Arkell,  Fr. 

Chuck,  MacKaye.      (In  "Yankee  Fantasies.") 

Canterbury  Pilgrims,  The,  MacKaye,  Brentano. 

Chinese  Lantern,  The,  Hauseman,  Dr.  P.  Co. 

Demeter    and    Persephone,    Stevens,    Music    by    Colburn, 
Drama  League,  Chicago. 

Dryad  and  the  Deacon,  The,  Bates,  Drama,  Mar.  1920. 

Engaged  by  Wednesday,  Owen,  Bk. 

Endymion,  Warren,  Bk. 

Edge  of  the  Wood,  The,  Roof,  Dr.  Feb.  1920. 

Four  Masques  For  Out-of-Doors,  Carman  &  King,  Bren- 
tano. 

Foresters,  The,  Tennyson,  Music  by  Arthur  Sullivan. 

Falcon,  The,  Tennyson. 

Forest  Princess,  The,  MacKaye.     (In  "The  Forest  Prin- 
cess.") 

Good  of  the  Wood,  The,  Gireaudeau,  "Drama,"  June,  1920. 

Gold,  Myrtle,  Music  by  Stewart. 

Glory  of  the  Morning,  Leonard.     (In  "Wisconsin  Plays.") 

Heart  of  Pierrot,  The,  Scott,  Dr.  2-20 — (children). 

157 


158  CHOOSING  A  PLAY 

King  Rene's  Daughter,  Herz,  Bk. 

Lost,  A  Chaperone,  Maulsby,  Bk. 

Lost  Pleiad,  The,  Drasefield,  Sunwise  Turn. 

Masque  of  Conservation,  A,  Mackay.  (In  "The  Forest 
Princess.") 

Masque  of  Pomona,  The,  MacKaye.  (In  "The  Forest  Prin- 
cess.") 

Meadow  Gold  (children).  University  of  Wisconsin  exten- 
sion. 

Poor  John,  Sierra,  trans.  Underhill,  Dr.  Feb.  1920. 

Prunella,  Hausman,  Dr.  P.  Co. 

Pandora,  Longfellow  (possible  for  children). 

Pioneers,  The,  Mackay.     (In  "The  Forest  Princess.") 

Pierrot  of  the  Minute,  The,  Dowson,  Mosher. 

Pioneers,  The,  Oppenheim,  Huebsch. 

Queen's  Hour,  The,  McCauley,  Drama,  June,  1920. 

Quay  of  Magic  Things,  The,  Mosher,  Dr.  Feb.,  1920. 

Red  Cap,  Keyes,  Bk.  (possible  for  children). 

Robin  of  Sherwood,  Yale  Press. 

Radisson,  Long,  Holt. 

Romancers,  The,  Rostand,  Fr. 

Sanctuary,  The  (Bird  Masque),  MacKaye,  Stokes. 

Sweethearts,  Gilbert,  D.  &  F. 

Sun  Goddess,  The,  MacKaye.      (In  "The  Forest  Princess.") 

Sakoontala   (Hindu)   translation  Williams,  Dodd,  Mead. 

Shepherd,  The,  Dargan. 

Sherwood,  Noyes. 

Sleeping  Beauty,  Dubois,  Brentano  (possible  for  children). 

Three  Chauffeurs,  The  (girls),  Chatterton.  Fr. 

Tune  of  a  Tune,  A,  Totheroh,  "Drama,"  Feb.,  1920. 

"Woods  of  Ida"  Masque  of  40  years  before  fall  of  Troy, 
Dargan,  "Century,"  Aug.,  1907- 

Well  of  the  Saints,  The,  Synge. 

Shakespeare's  plays  and  the  plays  of  the  Greeks. 


SECTION  IX 

PLAYS  FOR  STUDY  AND  SCENE  A70RK 

Barrie,  J.  M.     What  Every  Woman  Knows. 

Bennett,  Arnold     The  Honeymoon,  The  Great  Adventure, 

Milestones. 
Browning,  Robert.     In  a  Balcony. 

Burnett,  Frances  H.     The  Dawn  of  a  Tomorrow,  Esmer- 
alda. 
Galsworthy,  John.     The  Pigeon,  Strife,  Justice,  The  Little 

Dream. 
Hauptman,  Gerhart.     The  Sunken  Bell,  Hannele. 
Hausman,  Robert.      Prunella. 
Ibsen,   Hendrik.     The    Doll's   House,   Pillars    of   Society, 

Brand,  Rosmersholm. 
Jerome,  J.  K.     The  Passing  of  the  Third  Floor  Back. 
Kennedy,  Charles  R.     The  Winter  Feast,  The  Servant  in 

the  House. 
Knoblauch,  Edward.     The  Faun,  My  Lady's  Dress. 
Long,  John  L.     Madam  Butterfly. 
MacKaye,    Percy.     Mater,    The    Scarecrow,    Jean    D'Arc, 

Tomorrow,  A  Thousand  Years  Ago. 
Masefield,  John.     Nan. 
Materlinck,   Maurice.     Pelleas   and   Melisande,   The   Blue 

B'rd,  Monna  Vanna,  Sister  Beatrice,  The  Betrothal. 
Moffat,  Graham.     Bunty  Pulls  the  Strings. 
Moody,  William  V.     The  Great  Divide,  The  Faith  Healer. 
Parker,  Louis  N.     Disraeli,  Pomander  Walk. 

159 


160  CHOOSING  A  PLAY 

Peabody,  Josephine  P.     The  Piper. 

Phillips,  Stephen.     Herod,  Ulysses,  Paolo  and  Francesca. 

Pinero,  Arthur  W.     Sweet  Lavender. 

Rostand,  Edmund.     The  Princess   Faraway,  Chantecleer, 

L'Aiglon,  The  Romancers,  Cyrano  De  Bergerac. 
Shaw,  Bernard.     Caesar  and  Cleopatra,  Fanny's  First  Play, 

You  Never  Can  Tell,  Candida,  Androcles  and  the  Lion. 
Suderman,    Hermann.     Magda,    The    Faraway    Princess, 

Roses. 
Synge,  J.  M.     Riders  to  the  Sea. 
Tarkington,  Booth.     Monsieur  Beaucaire. 
Thomas,  Augustus.     The  Witching  Hour,  As  a  Man  Thinks. 
Wentworth,  Marion  C.     The  Flower  Shop,  War  Brides. 
Yeats,  William  B.     The  Land  of  Heart's  Desire,  The  Hour 

Glass,  The  Pot  of  Broth. 
Zamacois,  Miguel.     The  Jesters. 
Zangwill,  Israel.     Merely  Mary  Ann. 


SECTION  X 

BOOKS  or  PLAYS  FOR  CHILDREN 

Colonial  Plays  in  School,  Educational  Pub.  Co. 
Dramatic  Festivals,  Craig,  Putnam. 
Dramatic  Reader,  Gardner,  Educational  Pub.  Co. 
Dramatic  Sketches  for  Grades,  Boone,  Dramatic  Pub.  Co., 

Chicago. 
Dramatization,  Simons  &  Orr,  Scott,  Foresman  &  Co. 
Dramatizations,   Frances    E.    Clark,    "Popular   Educator," 

Oct.,  1911. 
Dramatic  Reader,  Wood,  Longmans,  Green,  N.  Y. 
Dramatizations    of    School    Classics,    Lazelle,    Educational 

Pub.  Co. 
Everybody  and  Other  Plays,  Anderson,  Shakespeare  Press, 

N.  Y. 
Four    Plays    For    Children,    Sidgwick,    Small,    Maynard, 

Boston. 
Festival  Plays,  Merrington,  Duffield,  N.  Y. 
Folk  Festivals,  Needham,  Hucbsch,  N.  Y. 
Harper's  Book  of  Little  Plays,  Barnum,  Harper,  N.  Y. 
Historical  Plays  for  Children,  Birr,  Macmillan  &  Co.,  N.  Y. 
House  of  tlie  Heart,  The,  MacKaye,  Holt.     Contents:  The 

Silver  Thread,    The  Forest  Princess. 
How  to  Produce  Children's  Plays,  MacKaye,  Holt,  N.  Y. 
Holiday  Plays,  Merrington,  Duffield  &  Co.,  N.  Y. 
Historical  Plays  of  Colonial  Days,  Tucker,  L.  E.  Longmans, 

Green,  N.  Y. 

161 


162  CHOOSING  A  PLAY 

Little  Plays  from  American  History,  Walker,  Holt,  N.  Y. 
Little  Dramas  for  Primary  Grades,  Skinner  &  Lawrence, 

American  Bk.  Co. 
Land  of  Make-Believc,  The,  Gardener,  Educational  Pub. 

Co.,  Chicago,  111. 
Little  Plays  for  Little  Players,  Hagar,  "Primary  Educa- 
tion," Jan.,  1912. 
Neptune's  Isle,  Chapman,  MofFat,  Yard,  N.  Y. 
Plays  for  School  Children,  Lutkenhaus,  The  Century  Co., 

N.  Y. 
Patriotic  Plays  and  Pageants,  Mackay,  Holt. 
Patriotic  Pageants  of  Today,  Thorpe  and  Kimball,  Holt, 

N.  Y. 
Plays  of  the  Pioneers,  MacKaye,  Harper  &  Bors.,  N.  Y. 
Short  Plays  About  Famous  Authors,  Frank,  Holt,  N.  Y. 
Short  Plays  from  Dickens,  Browne,  Scribner,  N.  Y. 
School-room  Plays  and  Exercises,  Allen,  Educational  Pub. 

Co.,  Boston  and  N.  Y. 
Story  Plays   for  Little  Ones,  Maguire,  Educational  Pub. 

Co.,  Boston  and  N.  Y. 
St.  Nicholas  Book  of  Plays,  The  Century  Co. 
Tales  and  Plays  of  Robin  Hood,  Skinner,  American  Bk.  Co. 


SECTION  XI 

Other  bibliographical  lists  of  plays  may  be 
found  as  follows : 

Actable  One-Act  Plays,  Chicago  Public  Library. 
Bibliography    of    Published    Plays    Available    in    English, 

World  Drama  Prompters,  La  Jolla,  Cal. 
Chandler,  In  "Aspects  of  Modern  Drama." 
Cheney,  In  "The  Art  Theater." 

Clapp,  Plays  for  Amateurs,  Drama  League,  Chicago,  lU. 
Clark,  In  "How  to  Produce  Amateur  Plays." 
Dickinson,  In  "The  Insurgent  Theater." 
Drama  League  Calendar,  Oct.  1,  1918,  N.  Y. 
Drama  League,  Boston,  Mass.,  Selective  List  of  Plays  for 

Amateurs. 
Dramatic  Index,  available  in  most  libraries,  edited  by  F.  W. 

Faxon,  Boston,  publishes  a  complete  list  of  plays  writ- 
ten and  produced  from  year  to  year. 
"English  Journal,"  Sept.,  1919,  Plays  for  the  Time  (before 

the  Armistice). 
"English  Journal,"  Mar.,  1918,  Some  Continental  Plays  for 

Amateurs. 
"English  Journal,"  Feb.,  1918,  Better  High  School  Plays. 
"Education,"    Vol.    4,   p.    372,    1918,   One- Act   Plays    for 

Schools  and  Colleges. 
French,  New  York,  Guide  to  Selecting  Plays. 
Lewis,  In  "The  Technique  of  the  One-Act  Play." 
Lewis,  In  Extension  Series  No.  2,  U.  of  Utah. 

163 


164  CHOOSING  A  PLAY 

McFadden,  E.  A.,  113  Lake  View  Ave.^  Cambridge,  Mass., 
Selected  List  of  Plays  for  Amateurs. 

MacKaye,  In  "The  Little  Theater  in  the  United  States." 

"Public  Speaking  Review,"  Nov.,  1912,  Plays  for  High 
Schools  and  Colleges.  (Magazine  may  be  obtained 
from  Hinds  &  Noble,  N.  Y.). 

"Quarterly  Journal  of  Speech  Education,"  Oct.,  1915, 
Fifty  One-Act  Plays. 

"Quarterly  Journal  of  Speech  Education,"  July,  1916,  High 
School  Plays. 

"Quarterly  Journal  of  Speech  Education,"  Oct.,  1918,  One- 
Act  Plays  for  Schools  and  Colleges. 

Riley,  In  "Drama  League  Monthly,"  Feb.,  1918,  The  One- 
Act  Play-Study  Course. 

Swartout,  Summit,  N.  J.,  List  "One  Hundred  and  One  Good 
Plays. 

Stratton,  4477  Pershing  Ave.,  St.  Louis,  Mo.,  "One  Hun- 
dred Plays  Suitable  for  Amateurs." 


SECTION  XII 

MAGAZINES  AND   PERIODICALS  OF  ASSISTANCE 

There  are  many  magazines  and  periodicals 
which  furnish  a  large  amount  of  information  and 
assistance  for  all  those  working  in  dramatic  lines, 
and  these  should  be  perused  with  care  by  all  who 
have  to  do  any  great  amount  of  directing.  If 
possible,  the  school  library  should  have  one  or 
more  of  these  available,  certainly  the  town  library 
can  furnish  them.  "The  Drama,"  a  monthly  re- 
view published  by  the  Drama  League  of  America, 
has  in  the  past  year  changed  its  policy  and  is  a 
much  more  helpful  source  for  the  director  than 
ever  before.  It  is  published  in  Chicago,  59  E. 
Van  Buren  Street.  "The  Theater  Arts  INIaga- 
zine,"  published  in  New  York,  is  one  of  the  great- 
est helps  and  inspirations  to  the  worker  in  dra- 
matics, and  deals  entirely  with  matters  dramatic. 
"Poetry"  and  "Poet  Lore"  frequently  publish 

165 


166  CHOOSING  A  PLAY 

plays  and  other  helpful  suggestions.  "Current 
Opinion"  publishes  each  month  an  excerpt  from 
one  of  the  leading  New  York  plays,  and  it  is 
so  complete  an  excerpt  as  to  make  a  knowledge 
of  the  play  as  a  whole  quite  adequate.  It  is  of 
the  greatest  value  in  helping  one  to  keep  in  touch 
with  the  yearly  productions. 

"The  Christian  Science  Monitor"  has  a  very 
good  theatrical  page  in  each  Tuesday  edition  and 
other  good  reviews  are  found  in  the  New  York 
"Times,"  "Sun"  and  "Post,"  as  well  as  in  the 
"Boston  Transcript."  It  is  necessary  to  keep  in 
touch  with  a  large  number  of  periodicals  if  one 
wishes  to  be  well  informed  in  matters  of  dramatic 
interest. 

The  "North  American  Review,"  "The  Book- 
man," the  "American  Magazine,"  "The  Century 
Magazine"  and  even  "Munsey's"  and  "The  Sat- 
urday Evening  Post"  frequently  have  articles  of 
vital  interest,  to  say  nothing  of  magazines  which 
we  usually  rank  much  lower. 

If  one  can  have  access  to  "The  Fortnightly  Re- 
view," published  in  England,  much  more  desir- 
able and  interesting  material  will  be  available. 


MAGAZINES  167 

Again  I  urge  directors  to  be  alive  to  their  duties 
by  much  reading,  we  have  too  long  taken  amateur 
dramatics  too  easily  ourselves  and  so  can  expect 
little  else  from  those  to  whom  we  administer 
them. 


SECTION  XIII 

BOOKS  AND   ARTICLES   ON   PAGEANTRY 

Books 

Burleigh.     Community  Drama,  Little,  Brown,  Boston. 

Bates,  E.  W.  Pageants  and  Pageantry,  New  York,  Ginn 
&Co. 

Beegle,  Crawford.  Community  Drama  and  Pageantry, 
Yale  University  Press. 

Cheney,  S.     The  Open  Air  Theater,  Kennerley,  N.  Y. 

Craig,  A.  A.  T.     The  Dramatic  Festival,  Kennerley,  N.  Y. 

Chubb,  P.     Festivals  and  Plays,  Harper  &  Co.,  N.  Y. 

Davol,  Ralph.  Handbook  of  American  Pageantry,  Taun- 
ton, Mass. 

Hatcher,  O.  L.  A  Book  for  Shakespeare  Plays  and  Page- 
ants, New  York. 

Mackay,  C.  D.  Patriotic  Plays  and  Pageants,  New  York, 
Henry  Holt. 

Mackay,  C.  D.     Patriotic  Drama  in  Your  Town,  Holt,  N.  Y. 

MacKaye,  P.  W.     The  Civic  Theater,  New  York. 

MacKaye,  P.  W.  The  Play  House  and  the  Play,  Mac- 
millan  &  Co.,  N.  Y. 

Needham,  Mrs.  Mary  M.  Folk  Festivals,  Their  Growth 
and  How  to  Give  Them,  New  York. 

Bulletins  and  Pamphlets 

Bulletins  of  the  American  Pageant  Association,  Mary  Porter 
Beegle,  Secretary,  Barnard  College,  New  York. 
168 


BOOKS  ON  PAGEANTRY        169 

Bulletins  of  the  Indiana  Historical  Commission,  State 
House,  Indianapolis,  Indiana,  1915. 

Bulletin  of  tlie  State  Historical  Society  of  Wisconsin,  Bulle- 
tin of  Information  No.  84,  July,  1916. 

Articles 

The  list  was  prepared  from  material  furnished  by  the 
United  States  Bureau  of  Education,  from  "Sources  of 
Information  on  Play  and  Recreation"  (New  York,  Russell 
Sage  Foundation,  1915)   and  from  other  sources. 

American  Historical  Pageants.  "Independent,"  63:  166- 
67,  July  18,  1907. 

Baker,  G.  P.  What  the  Pageant  Can  Do  for  the  Town, 
"Ladies'  Home  Journal,"  31:44,  April,  1914. 

Bland,  Henry  M.  California  May  Fete,  "Overland 
Monthly,"  1,  n.s.  52:  248-49,  September,  1908.     Illus. 

Chessire,  J.  K.  C.  Bethlehem  Tableaux,  New  York,  E.  P. 
Button,  1913,  102  pp.,  Illus. 

Clark,  Lotta  A.  Pageants  and  Local  History,  "History 
Teachers'  Magazine,"  V.,  287. 

Coleman,  A.  I.  du  Pont.  Oxford  Pageant,  "Bookman," 
25:349-51,  June,  1907. 

Columbus  Day.  Fitchburg  (Mass.)  Normal  School,  "Jour- 
nal of  Education,"  74:  238-39,  244,  September  7,  1911, 
Illus. 

Coburn,  Frederick  W.  The  Educational  Pageant  at  Bos- 
ton, "School  Journal,"  76:  52-53,  October.  1908,  Illus. 

Corbin,  A.  M.,  and  Fisher,  E.  V.  Making  of  a  Festival, 
"Playground,"  5:355-60,  January,  1912. 

Dickinson,  T.  H.  The  Pageant,  History,.  Structure  and 
Uses,  The  Play  Book,  September,  1914. 

Dye,  Charity.  The  Historical  Pageant  in  the  Schools, 
"Atlantic  Educational  Journal,"  6:90,  207-10,  No- 
vember, 1910;  February,  1911,  Illus. 


170  CHOOSING  A  PLAY 

The  Dramatizing  of  History  Material,  "Indiana  Uni- 
versity Bulletin,"  13:  No.  10,  p.  20,  September,  1915. 

Foster,  Paul  Pinkerton.  Reviving  the  Elizabethan  Page- 
ant, "World  Today,"  15:827-33,  August,  1908,  Illus. 

Farnsworth,  Cliarles  F.  Festival  Course  at  Dartmouth, 
"Independent,"  73:  371-74,  August  15,  1912. 

Farwell,  A.  Pageant  and  Masque  at  St.  Louis — A  People's 
Drama  on  a  National  Scale,  "American  Review  of  Re- 
views," 50:187-93,  August,  1914,  Illus. 

Festivals,  "Atlantic  Educational  Journal,"  a  monthly  de- 
partment conducted  by  Prof.  P.  W.  Dykema,  Balti- 
more, Md. 

Historical  Pageant  at  Warwick,  England,  "Review  of  Re- 
views," 34:  201-202,  August,  1906,  Illus. 

Hudson-Fulton  Celebration,  Children's  Festivals,  "Play- 
ground," 3:  1-10,  November,  1909,  Illus. 

Johnson,  Martyn.  Chicago's  Renaissance,  "Putnam's 
Magazine,"  6:41-47,  April,  1909. 

Langdon,  William  Chauncey.  The  Deerfield  Pageant 
(Deerfield,  Mass.,  July  14,  15,  16,  1910),  "Play- 
ground," 4:  417-28.  March,  1911,  Illus. 

The  Pageant  of  the  Perfect  City,  "Playground,"  5:2-17, 
April,  1911,  Illus. 

Philadelphia  Historical  Pageant,  "Survey,"  29:  215-18,  No- 
vember 23,  1912. 

Suggestions  for  the  celebration  of  the  Fourth  of  July  by 
means  of  pageantry  .  .  .  with  an  article  and  notes  on 
the  music  by  Arthur  Farwell,  New  York,  Division 
of  Recreation  of  the  Russell  Sage  Foundation,  1912, 
56  pp.,  8. 

Pageant  of  Meridan,  N.  H.,  "American  City,"  10:355-61, 
April,  1914. 

Pageant  of  St.  Johnsbury,  "American  City,"  8:481-87, 
May,  1913. 


BOOKS  ON  PAGEANTRY        171 

Koch,  F.  H.  Amateur  Values  in  Pageantry,  Quarterly 
Journal  of  Speech  Education,  Oct.,  1915. 

Koch,  F.  H.  Creative  Instinct  in  Play-Making,  "English 
Journal,"  May,  1920. 

Lincoln,  Jeannette  E.  C,  Festival  Book,  New  York,  A.  S. 
Barnes  &  Co.,  1912,  74  pp. 

Lord,  Katherine.  Pageant  of  the  Evolution  of  Industry, 
"Playground,"  5:407-410,  March,  1912. 

Mackay,  C.  D.  Out-of-Doors  Dramatics  and  How  to  Pre- 
pare for  Them,  "Ladies'  Home  World,"  May,  1915. 

MacKaye,  Percy.  St.  Louis — A  Civic  Masque,  New  York, 
Doubleday,  Page,  1914,  99  pp. 

MacTavish,  Newton.  Our  Three  Hundredth  Birthday, 
"Canadian  Magazine,"  31:386-401,  September,  1908, 
Illus. 

Maercklein,  Brudette  Crane.  Historic  Pageants  and  Spec- 
tacles enacted  at  Hartford  during  the  great  bridge  fete, 
"New  England  Magazine,"  n.s.  39:  426-33,  December, 
1908,  Illus. 

Mero,  E.  B.  Value  of  Holidays  in  the  Building  of  Citizen- 
ship, "American  City,"  p:  354-367,  October,  1913. 

McReynolds,  George.  The  Centennial  Pageant  for  In- 
diana— Suggestions  for  its  performance,  "Indiana 
Magazine  of  History,"  September,  1915. 

Needham,  Mary  Master.  Folk  Festivals:  Their  Growth 
and  How  to  Give  Them,  New  York,  Huebsch,  1912, 
244  pp. 

Oberholtzer,  Ellis  Paxson.  Historical  Pageant,  "History 
Teachers'  Magazine,"  1 :167-68,  April,  1910. 

Old  Quebec's  Tercentenary  Pictures,  "World  Today,"  15: 
679-84,  July,  1908. 

Pearson,  Alvick  A.  Tournament  of  Roses,  "Overland 
Monthly,"  n.s.  40:97-112,  February,  1907,  Illus. 


172  CHOOSING  A  PLAY 

Philadelphia's  Pageant,  1912,  "Outlook/'  103:89-91, 
January,  1913. 

Schauffler,  Robert  H.  Our  American  Holidays,  New  York, 
MofFatt,  Yard  &  Co. 

"Spectator"  (pseud.)  Scenes  at  Quebec,  "Outlook,"  89:  885- 
92,  August  22,  1908. 

Stevens,  Thomas  W.,  and  Goodman,  Kenneth  S.  Pageant 
for  Independence  Day,  Chicago,  State  Guild. 

Stevens,  Thomas  Wood.  The  Pageant  as  a  School  Exer- 
cise, "School  Arts  Book,"  11 :  1003-11,  June,  1912, 

Stewart,  Jane  A.  Philadelphia's  Birthday,  "School  Jour- 
nal," 76:101-102,  November,  1908. 

Taintor,  J.  F.  An  Historical  Pageant  in  a  Small  College 
Town,  "Playground,"  4:  357-63,  February,  1911,  Illus. 
Ripon,  Wisconsin,  June  14,  1910.  Rural  Pageant, 
Ripon,  Wis.,  "Playground,"  7:240-256,  September, 
1913. 

Thoburn,  Helen.  Pageantry  in  Country  Places,  "Rural 
Manhood,"  4:323-327,  November,  1913. 

Turnbull,  George.  English  Historical  Pageants,  "World's 
Work,"  15:9659-74,  December,  1907,  Illus. 

Wade,  H.  T.  What  the  Pageant  Does  for  Local  History, 
"American  Review  of  Reviews,"  September,  1913. 

Wright,  W.  H.  California  Historical  Pageant,  "Inde- 
pendent," 72:  1090-93,  May  23,  1912. 


SECTION  XIV 

BOOKS  AND  ARTICLES  ON  DRAMATIZATION  IN 
SCHOOL  WORK 

Abbott,  Allan.  A  High  School  Course  in  Drama,  "English 
Journal/'  2:93-98,  February,  1913. 

Barney,  Mabel  I.  The  Dramatic  Instinct  in  the  Elemen- 
tary School,  including  the  Pilgrim  Play,  "Teachers' 
College  Record,"  8:  118-26,  May,  1907. 

The  College  Play— What  is  Being  Done  With  It  and  What 
Can  Be  Done  With  It,  "Public  Speaking  Review," 
3:5-11,  May,  1913. 

Carter,  Elsie  PI.  Christmas  Candles,  New  York,  Henry 
Holt  &  Co.,  1915. 

Clapp,  John  M.  Plays  for  Amateurs,  Drama  League  of 
America,  1915,  44  pp. 

Cone,  Adelia  W.  The  Value  of  Dramatics  in  the  Secondary 
School,  "Ohio  Educational  Monthly,"  61 :  462-64,  Sep- 
tember, 1912. 

Craig,  Anne  Throop.  The  Development  of  a  Dramatic 
Element  in  Education,  "Pedagogical  Seminary,"  15: 
75-81,  March,  1908. 

Curtis,  Eleanora  W.  Dramatic  Instinct  in  Education, 
New  York,  Houghton,  Mifflin,  1914,  245  pp. 

Dorey,  J.  Milnor.  A  School  Course  in  Dramatics,  "Eng- 
lish Journal,"  1:425-30,  September,  1912. 

Dramatization  a  Factor  in  School  Education,  "School  and 
Home  Education,"  29:  13-22,  September,  1909. 
173 


174  CHOOSING  A  PLAY 

Dryer,  Mabel  Elizabeth.  The  Making  of  a  Play,  "Ele- 
mentary School  Teacher,"  8:423-36,  April,  1908. 

Finlay- Johnson,  Harriet.  The  Dramatic  Method  of  Teach- 
ing, London,  J.  Nisbet  &  Co.,  256  pp.,  Illus.  12. 

Fleming,  Martha.  The  Making  of  a  Play,  "Elementary 
School  Teacher,"  8:15-23,  September,  1907. 

Fry,  Emma  S.  Education  Dramatics,  New  York,  MofFat, 
Yard,  1913,  69  pp. 

Guide  and  Index  to  Plays,  Festivals  and  Masques,  compiled 
by  Association  of  Neighborhood  Workers,  New  York, 
Harper's,  1913,  44  pp. 

Guild,  Thacher  H.  Suggestions  for  the  High  School  Play, 
"English  Journal,"  2:637-46,  December,  1913. 
Reprinted  from  the  April  "Bulletin  of  the  Illinois  As- 
sociation of  Teachers  of  English." 
Gives  a  list  of  some  plays  which  have  proved  success- 
ful at  the  University  of  Illinois  and  the  local 
schools. 

Hall,  Jennie.  Some  Plans  of  Dramatic  Representation  in 
Primary  Grades,  "Elementary  School  Teacher/'  4: 
566-78,  April,  1904. 

Heniger,  A.  M.  H.  Drama's  Value  for  Children,  "Good 
Housekeeping,"  56:  636-647,  November,  1913,  Illus. 

Herr,  Charlotte  B.  The  Value  of  Dramatic  Work  in  the 
Teaching  of  English,  "Journal  of  Education,"  67:  95- 
97,  January  23,  1908. 

Johnson,  Dramatic  Method  of  Teaching,  Ginn  &  Co. 

MacClintock,  Porter  Lander.  Drama.  In  His  Literature 
in  the  Elementary  School,  Chicago,  University  of  Chi- 
cago Press,  1907,  pp.  212-28. 

Mackay,    Clarence    D'Arcy.     Costumes    and    Scenery    for 
Amateurs,  New  York,  Henry  Holt,  1915. 
How  to  Produce  Children's  Plays,  New  York,  Henry 
Holt,  1915,  151  pp. 


BOOKS  ON  DRAMATIZATION    1T5 

Oglevay,  Kate.  Plays  for  Children,  Drama  League  of 
America,  1915.  15  pp. 

O'Shea,  Michael  Vincent.  The  Dramatization  of  School 
Work,  "Outlook,"  89:93-94,  May,  1908. 

Payne,  Bertha.  Dramatic  Play  in  the  Kindergarten, 
"Elementary  School  Teacher,"  4:  588-93,  April,  1904. 

Purcell,  Helen  Elizabeth.  Children's  Dramatic  Interest 
and  How  This  May  Be  Utilized  in  Education,  "Ele- 
mentary School  Teacher,"  7:510-18,  May,  1907. 

Scherz,  T.  J.  How  Dramatization  of  Stories  Helps  in 
Teaching  Modern  Languages,  "Francis  W.  Parker's 
School  Yearbook,"  4:  147-153,  June,  1915. 

Smith,  John  Talbot.     The  College  Drama,  "Catholic  Edu- 
cational Review,"  7:315-24,  April,  1914. 
The  Drama  in  the  School,  "Catholic  Educational  Re- 
view," 4:  364-71,  October,  1912. 

Specimen  School  Dramas,  "Catholic  Educational  Re- 
view," 4:398-408,  November,  1912. 

Spaulding,  Alice  Howard.  The  Drama  and  the  Public 
Schools,  "Pittsburgh  Scliool  Bulletin,"  6:1468-71, 
1497-1501,  November,  December,  1912. 

Welch,  John  S.  Dramatization.  In  His  Literature  in  the 
School — Aims,  Methods,  and  Interpretations,  New 
York  (etc.).  Silver,  Burdett  &  Company  (1910),  pp. 
59-63. 

Woodbury,  Sarah  E.  Dramatization  in  the  Grammar 
Grades,  Los  Angeles,  Baumgardt  Publishing  Co.,  1909, 
49  pp.,  Illus.  12. 


SECTION  XV 

BOOKS  ABOUT  THE  THEATER  AND  ACTING 

*^Actors  and  the  Art  of  Acting,  Lewes.  Henry  Holt  &  Co. 

American  Dramatist,  Moses,  Little,  Brown  &  Co. 

American  Stage  Today,  Eaton,  Small,  Maynard  &  Co. 

Appreciation  of  the  Drama,  Caffin,  Baker,  Taylor  Co. 
-Art  Theater,  The,  Cheney,  Alfred  Knopf. 

Aspects  of  Modern  Drama,  Chandler,  Macmillan  &  Co. 

Case  of  the  American  Drama,  Dickinson,  Houghton,  Mifflin 
Co. 

Changing  Drama,  The,  Henderson,  Henry  Holt  &  Co. 

Civic  Theater,  The,  MacKaye,  Mitchell  Kennerley. 

Community  Theater,  The,  Burleigh,  Little,  Brown  &  Co. 

Costumes  and  Scenery  for  Amateurs,  Mackay,  Henry  Holt 
&  Co. 

Drama  of  Today,  The,  Andrews,  J.  B.  Lippincott. 

Dramatic  Values,  Montague,  Macmillan  &  Co. 
-  Dramatic  Technique,  Baker,  Houghton,  Mifflin  Co. 

Essays  on  Modern  Dramatists,  Phelps,  Macmillan  &  Co. 

Future  of  the  Theater,  The,  Palmer,  G.  Bell  &  Sons. 

How  to  Produce  Amateur  Plays,  Clark,  Little,  Brown  &  Co. 

How  to  See  a  Play,  Burton,  Macmillan  &  Co. 

How's  Your  Second  Act?  Hopkins,  Phillip  Goodman,  N.  Y. 

Iconoclasts,  Huneker,  Chas.  Scribner  Co. 

Insurgent  Theater,  The,  Dickinson,  W.  B.  Huebsch  &  Co. 

Little  Theater  in  the  United  States,  ^lackay,  Henry  Holt 
&Co. 

Masques  or  Faces,  Archer,  Longmans,  Green  Co, 

Modern  Drama,  Lewisohn,  W.  B.  Huebsch. 

17G 


BOOKS  ABOUT  THE  THEATER  177 

New  American  Drama,  The,  Burton,  Thos.  Crowell. 

New    Movement   in    the    Theater,    The,    Cheney,    Mitchell 
Kennerley. 

New    Spirit   in    Drama    and    Art,    The,    Carter,    Mitchell 
Kennerley. 

On  Acting,  Matthews,  Chas.  Scribner. 
"Open  Air  Theater,  The,  Cheney,.  Mitchell  Kennerley. 
*On  the  Art  of  the  Theater,  Craig,  Brown's  Bank,  Chicago. 

Patriotic  Drama  in  Your  Town,  Mackay,  Henry  Holt  &  Co. 

People's  Theater,  The,  Holland,  Henry  Holt  &  Co. 

Playhouse  and  the  Play,  The,  MacKaye,  Macmillan  &  Co. 

Play  Making,  Archer,  Small,  Maynard  &  Co. 

Play  of  Today,  The,  Hunt,  John  Lane  Co. 

Play  Production  in  America,  Krows,  Henry  Holt  &  Co. 

Plays  and  Players,  Eaton,  Stewart,  Kidd  &  Co. 

Practical    Stage    Directing    for    Amateurs,    Taylor,    E.    P. 
Dutton  &  Co. 

Principles  of  Drama  Therapy,  Austin,  Frank  Shay,  N.  Y. 

Problems  of  the  Actor,  Calvert,  Henry  Holt  &  Co. 

Problems  of  the  Playwright,  Hamilton,  Henry  Holt  &  Co. 

Romance  of  the  American  Theater,  Crawford,  Little,  Brown 
&  Co. 

Studies  in  Stagecraft,  Hamilton,  Henry  Holt  &  Co. 

Study  of  The  Drama,  Matthews,  Chas.  Scribner  &  Co. 

Technique  of  the  Drama,  Baker,  Houghton,  Mifflin. 

Technique  of  The  Drama,  Price,  Brentano,  N.  Y. 
•"Theater  of  Today,  The,  Moderwell,  John  Lane  &  Co. 

Theater  of  Max  Peinhardt,  The^  Carter,  Mitchell  Kenner- 
ley. 

Theory  of  the  Theater,  The,  Hamilton,  Henry  Holt  &  Co. 

■^Towards  a  New  Theater,  Craig,  E.  P.  Dutton  &  Co. 

Training  for  the  Stage,  Hornblow,  J,  B.  Lippincott. 

Technique  of  the  One-Act  Play,  Lewis,  John  Luce  &  Co. 

Twentieth  Century  Theater,  The,  Phelps,  Macmillan  &  Co. 

THE   END 


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